Written By: Neat Digital, Research Content Writer

Reviewed By: Natalie Kunsman, M.D., Board-Certified Physician

Last Reviewed: August 31, 2026

Research Use Only: This article is for educational and laboratory research information only. Aniracetam and related materials are not intended for human consumption, medical use, or diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of any disease. Always follow applicable laws, regulations, and laboratory safety requirements.

Aniracetam and oxiracetam sit in the same chemical family, yet they behave like two different materials on the bench. They share the 2-pyrrolidinone ring that defines every racetam. Past that ring, almost everything splits. Aniracetam is fat-soluble and will not dissolve in water. Oxiracetam is strongly water-soluble. Their molar masses differ by about 61 g/mol. And the peer-reviewed record ties each to a different receptor activity. So the short answer to the key differences between aniracetam and oxiracetam is this: one shared core, opposite solubility, separate pharmacology in the research literature.

One note before the chemistry. Aniracetam offered by Nordic Chems is sold strictly for laboratory and research use. It is not for human consumption. What follows is educational, and it describes the chemistry and the published research only.

What Is Aniracetam?

Aniracetam is a synthetic molecule in the racetam class, first reported in the 1970s. Its formula is C12H13NO3, with a molar mass of 219.24 g/mol and CAS number 72432-10-1, listed under PubChem CID 2196. In research settings it is studied as a positive allosteric modulator of AMPA-type glutamate receptors.

Physically it presents as a white or almost white crystalline powder. It does not dissolve in water. It dissolves in chloroform and ethyl acetate, and only slightly in ethanol, which marks it as a lipophilic molecule. Nordic Chems stocks it as a 50 gram powder tested to 99% purity.

Oxiracetam: Chemical Identity

Oxiracetam is the water-loving counterpart. Its formula is C6H10N2O3, with a molar mass of 158.16 g/mol and CAS number 62613-82-5, listed under PubChem CID 4626. Its IUPAC name is 2-(4-hydroxy-2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)acetamide, and its computed partition value (XLogP roughly -2.2) puts it firmly on the hydrophilic side.

Worth stating plainly: Nordic Chems does not carry oxiracetam. It appears here as the research comparison point, not as a catalog item.

The Shared Racetam Core

Both molecules are built on 2-pyrrolidinone, a five-membered lactam ring. That ring is the racetam signature, the same backbone found in piracetam and in pramiracetam. It is the reason the whole family gets listed together in one research chemical catalog, and it is also where the shared story ends. Group them by the ring, but read the rest of the structure before you assume they act alike.

How The Two Chemical Structures Differ

The differences hang off that ring. Aniracetam carries a 4-methoxybenzoyl group, an anisoyl aromatic ring bolted to the nitrogen. It is bulky, aromatic, and greasy, with no free polar tail. Oxiracetam takes the opposite route: a hydroxyl group at the ring's 4-position plus a short glycine-like acetamide side chain.

The result shows up in the numbers. Oxiracetam is small and polar at 158.16 g/mol. Aniracetam is larger and aromatic at 219.24 g/mol, roughly 61 g/mol heavier. That single structural fork explains almost every practical difference that follows.

Why Solubility Separates Them In The Lab

Solubility is the first difference a researcher actually feels. Aniracetam is insoluble in water and needs an organic solvent such as DMSO to go into a stock solution. Oxiracetam, with its strongly negative partition value, dissolves straight into water or aqueous buffer.

That has a direct handling consequence. A preparation method validated for one will not transfer to the other. You cannot take an aqueous oxiracetam protocol, drop aniracetam into the same buffer, and expect it to dissolve. Solvent choice, stock concentration, and vehicle controls all change with the molecule.

How Do The Mechanisms Of Aniracetam And Oxiracetam Differ In The Research Literature?

The published studies point them at different primary targets. Aniracetam is characterized as a positive allosteric modulator of AMPA-type (quisqualate) glutamate receptors. Ito and Tanabe reported this allosteric potentiation in hippocampal neurons in a 1990 paper in The Journal of Physiology, and later work found that aniracetam reduces glutamate receptor desensitization and slows the decay of fast excitatory postsynaptic currents in the hippocampus (Isaacson and Nicoll, 1991; Tang et al., 1991, in Science).

Oxiracetam's most-cited in vitro signature is different. Studies report that it increases the release of endogenous glutamate from depolarized rat hippocampal slices and modulates hippocampal field potentials. The two overlap in one place: a 1993 in vivo study in rats (Giovannini et al.) found that oxiracetam and aniracetam each raised acetylcholine release from the hippocampus. Same family, one point of overlap, two different receptor-level stories.

Aniracetam Vs Oxiracetam: Side-By-Side Research Profile

Are Aniracetam And Oxiracetam Interchangeable In Research?

No, and treating them as swappable is a methodological error the literature does not support. The shared racetam ring tempts people to file them under one heading, but aniracetam's characterized action on AMPA receptors (Ito and Tanabe, 1990) is not the same as oxiracetam's glutamate-release profile. Add the opposite solubility, and a protocol validated with one will not carry over cleanly to the other. They can share a research shelf. They do not share an experiment.

How Is Research-Grade Aniracetam Verified For Identity And Purity?

Identity and purity are only as trustworthy as the analytics behind them, and this is where documentation earns its keep. Every batch of aniracetam from Nordic Chems is guaranteed to 99% purity. Material that falls below that threshold is rejected, and a fresh batch is re-tested before it ever reaches stock.

The testing itself runs through two independent labs, BioRegen Labs in Houston, Texas and Janoshik Analytical in Prague. Methods include HPLC and mass spectrometry, with an LC-MS chromatogram showing retention-time and peak analysis, plus heavy-metal screening on the same sample when a project calls for it. Synthesis, quality testing, and distribution operate under ISO 9001:2015 (Certificate No. C2024-01140). Each certificate carries a batch or lot number and a test date, and a buyer can tie that certificate to the exact batch received by emailing their order number. Across 10,600 orders shipped and 20 batches tested to date, the same verification routine applies, and material leaves induction-sealed and desiccated.

Storing And Handling Aniracetam In The Lab

Store it cool, dry, and sealed. Aniracetam should sit in a cool, dry place with the container tightly closed, kept where only trained personnel can reach it. Because it is insoluble in water, prepare any stock solution in an organic solvent rather than aqueous buffer. Handle it with appropriate PPE and standard laboratory safety practices, and follow the regulations that apply to handling, storage, transport, and disposal in your setting.

Is Aniracetam Legal To Buy For Research In 2026?

Aniracetam is offered by Nordic Chems for laboratory research and educational use only, never for human consumption. Nordic Chems ships within the USA and Canada and maintains shipping profiles that keep restricted materials out of the states that regulate them. Every buyer has to read and accept the terms at checkout and declare that they are a trained professional who can handle the material properly. Research rules vary by state and by institution, so responsibility for confirming what applies in a given jurisdiction sits with the researcher.

The Bottom-Line Difference

Set the marketing aside, and the aniracetam and oxiracetam comparison stops being about which one is better. They answer different research questions. One is a fat-soluble AMPA receptor modulator you dissolve in an organic solvent. The other is a small, water-loving molecule with a separate published profile. File them under the racetam ring if it helps, but do not treat them as one interchangeable material.

The difference that outlasts any structural chart is knowing what actually sits in the vial. A CAS number on a label means little without an HPLC trace, a mass-spec result, a batch number, and a test date you can match to your own order. That is the standard Nordic Chems holds every batch of aniracetam to, at 99% purity, checked by two independent labs. Aniracetam remains a research material, offered for laboratory work and never for human consumption.

FAQs

Is aniracetam the same as oxiracetam?

No. Aniracetam and oxiracetam share the 2-pyrrolidinone racetam core, but they differ in structure, solubility, and receptor activity. Aniracetam is 219.24 g/mol and fat-soluble; oxiracetam is 158.16 g/mol and water-soluble.

Is aniracetam fat-soluble or water-soluble?

Aniracetam is fat-soluble. It is insoluble in water and dissolves in organic solvents such as chloroform and ethyl acetate. Oxiracetam is the water-soluble one, with a strongly negative partition value (XLogP about -2.2).

What is the main structural difference between aniracetam and oxiracetam?

Aniracetam carries a 4-methoxybenzoyl (anisoyl) aromatic ring on its nitrogen. Oxiracetam instead has a hydroxyl group at the 4-position plus a short acetamide side chain, which makes it smaller and far more polar.

Does Nordic Chems sell oxiracetam?

No. Nordic Chems offers aniracetam as a 50 gram powder tested to 99% purity, but oxiracetam is not in the catalog. Oxiracetam is included in this article only as a research comparison.

What purity should research-grade aniracetam meet?

Nordic Chems guarantees 99% purity on every batch of aniracetam, verified by HPLC and mass spectrometry through two independent labs. Any batch below the threshold is rejected and re-tested before it reaches stock.

Can I match a certificate of analysis to my aniracetam batch?

Yes. Email your order number and the team returns the batch or lot number that your certificate corresponds to. Each certificate also shows the test date.

Is aniracetam sold for human use?

No. Aniracetam is offered strictly for laboratory research and educational use. It is not for human consumption, and buyers confirm research use at checkout.