Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of central nervous system (CNS) active compounds. It serves as a building block for piperidine-based drugs, where the tert-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) protecting group allows for controlled functionalization of the nitrogen atom. The presence of the 4-nitrophenyl moiety enables further chemical transformations, such as reduction to an aniline derivative, which can be incorporated into bioactive molecules. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for the preparation of potential analgesics, antipsychotics, and other neuroactive agents.