A piperidine derivative, which can be used as an intermediate for pharmaceuticals such as paroxetine useful as antidepressants, represented by the general formula (I):
wherein R 1 is hydrogen atom, benzyloxycarbonyl group or tert-butoxycarbonyl group; R 2 is hydroxymethyl group, an alkylsulfonyloxymethyl group having an alkyl moiety of 1 to 2 carbon atoms, phenylsulfonyloxymethyl group which may have methyl group at the 4-position, (3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)oxymethyl group, carboxyl group or -CO 2 R 7 group in which R 7 is an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, and Z is methylene group or carbonyl group, with proviso that, (A) when R 1 is benzyloxycarbonyl group or tert-butoxycarbonyl group, then R 2 is hydroxymethyl group, an alkylsulfonyloxymethyl group having an alkyl moiety of 1 to 2 carbon atoms, phenylsulfonyloxymethyl group which may have methyl group at the 4-position or (3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)oxymethyl group, and Z is methylene group; or (B) when R 1 is hydrogen atom and Z is carbonyl group, then R 2 is carboxyl group or -CO 2 R 7 group (R 7 is as defined above); or (C) when R 1 is hydrogen atom and Z is methylene group, then R 2 is hydroxymethyl group.
Also processes for the production of the intermediates are described.