Used as an intermediate in pharmaceutical synthesis, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that require functionalized piperidine scaffolds. The aldehyde group enables further chemical modifications, such as reductive amination or condensation reactions, allowing for the introduction of diverse side chains. The tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) protecting group stabilizes the piperidine nitrogen during multi-step syntheses and can be easily removed under mild acidic conditions when needed. Commonly employed in the preparation of drug candidates targeting central nervous system disorders, receptor agonists, or antagonists where piperidine derivatives are pharmacologically relevant. Also utilized in combinatorial chemistry and medicinal chemistry research for building structurally complex molecules.