Organic acid have been widely identified as common components in atmospheric particulate matter, which is important for the investigation of atmospheric aerosol nucleation mechanism. Experimental results show that organic acids can promote the growth of sulfuric acid-water clusters. The theoretical calculations also show that the interaction of organic acids with sulfuric acid through hydrogen bonds in the presence of organic acids forms heterogeneous clusters, which can promote the formation of clusters by reducing the nucleation barriers to strengthen the formation of new particles. The influence of organic acids on the nucleation process of aerosols is reviewed, and a prospect for the development is given.