Used as an intermediate in pharmaceutical synthesis, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) requiring piperidine-based structures. Its functional groups enable selective modifications for drug candidates targeting central nervous system disorders. The tert-butyl carbamate (Boc) group provides protection during peptide or heterocyclic synthesis, allowing controlled deprotection under mild acidic conditions. The cyano and hydroxyethyl moieties offer sites for further chemical transformations, such as reduction or coupling reactions, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for building complex molecules.