pharmaceutical field
1. Used for synthesizing central nervous system (CNS) drugs, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics (regulating receptor activity through the synergistic effect of benzyl and hydroxyl groups).
2. Construct analgesics (such as μ - opioid receptor modulators) or anticholinergic drugs (such as piperidine derivatives for treating Parkinson's disease).
3. Participate in the design of anti-cancer drugs (such as modifying the pyridine ring in kinase inhibitors).

Functional group conversion:
1. Hydroxyl groups can be oxidized to ketones (1-benzyl-3-piperidinone) or derived into ethers/esters (such as methanesulfonate for nucleophilic substitution).
2. Benzyl can be deprotected by hydrogen (Pd/C, H ₂) to generate 3-hydroxypyridine for further modification.

Chiral synthesis: used as a chiral block for asymmetric catalytic reactions (such as asymmetric alkylation of pyridine rings).

Pesticide intermediates: used as nitrogen-containing heterocyclic frameworks in the synthesis of a few insecticides or fungicides.

Coordination chemistry: forms complexes with transition metals (such as palladium and rhodium) for catalytic reactions (such as C-H activation).