The corrosion protection of carbon steel is an issue of widespread concern in contemporary society. Organic corrosion inhibitors were widely applied in coatings an efficient，convenient，and cost-effective anti-corrosion technology. Nitrogen heterocyclic structures have become the focus of research in the field of organic corrosion inhibitors in recent years because of their strong designability and good corrosion inhibition performance. In this paper，the modification of nitrogen heterocyclic inhibitors and the research progress of inhibitors containing imidazoline，triazole，pyridine and pyrimidine ring structures were reviewed. The effects of structural modification on the corrosion inhibition performance of these inhibitors and the application of inhibitors in coatings were also elaborated. Finally，the development trend of corrosion inhibitor coating was looked forward.