Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with central nervous system activity. It serves as a building block in the production of certain antipsychotics and antidepressants due to the presence of the piperazine ring, which is commonly found in bioactive molecules. Its ester functionality allows for further chemical modifications, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for creating analogs during drug discovery. Also employed in the preparation of research chemicals and probes for biological studies.