Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of bioactive molecules requiring high enantiomeric purity. Its structure supports the formation of peptidomimetics and enzyme inhibitors, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for drug discovery. The trifluoroacetyl group enhances metabolic stability and influences lipophilicity, which can improve pharmacokinetic properties in final drug compounds. Commonly employed in asymmetric synthesis and catalysis due to its rigid piperidine scaffold and functional handles for further derivatization.