Abstract: The lubricating oil additives of N-containing heterocyclic compounds and their derivatives have attracted more and more attention in the past ten years.In order to push the workforward , the recent development of N- containing heterocyclic compounds and their derivatives asmultifunctional oil additives was reviewed in this paper; The kinds and molecular structares of N-containing heterocyclic compounds and their derivatives,and the relationship between tribologicalcharacteristics and molecular structures were expounded. The effects of elements(such as sulphur,phosphorus,boron and chlorine)in the heterocyclic moiety or the substituent group on the tribological properties were also discussed.In addition, the antifriction and antiwear mechanisms of N-containing heterocyclic derivatives were studied.Finally,the possible direction of research in this atea were proposed.