2-Pyrrolidinone (racetams)

Racetams are a chemical class of organic compounds that share a five-membered 2-pyrrolidinone ring, a pyrrolidine ring carrying a single carbonyl group, which is the structure their "-racetam" suffix refers to. Members differ by the groups attached to that ring, most often an acetamide on the ring nitrogen, plus further additions that give the various relatives. Racetams are generally marketed as nootropics, with proposed effects on cognition and memory, though their mechanisms are not fully established. The 2-pyrrolidinone nucleus is the consistent backbone uniting the family.