Piracetam was synthesized by Corneliu E. Giurgea.
Corneliu E. Giurgea, a Romanian psychologist and chemist, first synthesized piracetam sometime between the late 1950s and 1964. He is considered the father of nootropics, a class of drugs designed to enhance cognitive function. Piracetam was the first compound he specifically developed with the intention of positively impacting cognition, particularly memory.
Giurgea coined the term "nootropic" in 1972 to describe substances that met specific criteria, including enhancing learning and memory, protecting the brain from injury, and lacking the typical side effects of other psychoactive drugs. Piracetam served as the prototype for this new class of cognitive enhancers.
