Piperidine has the molecular formula (CH2)5NH and is classified as an organic compound. This heterocyclic amine is composed of a six-membered ring that incorporates five methylene bridges (–CH2–) and one amine bridge (–NH–).

Piperidine is a clear, colorless liquid that emits a smell reminiscent of pepper. It has a lower density than water, but it can be mixed with water and will float on its surface. This liquid has a flash point of 37 °F, a melting point of -15.8 °F (-9 °C), and a boiling point of 222.8 °F (106 °C).

Piperidine, like cyclohexane, exhibits a preference for a chair conformation. However, unlike cyclohexane, piperidine displays two distinct chair conformations characterized by the N–H bond occupying either an axial or an equatorial position.

Piperidine serves both as a solvent and a base, and this is also the case for specific derivatives. For instance, N-formylpiperidine acts as a polar aprotic solvent, exhibiting superior hydrocarbon solubility when compared to other amide solvents.

Piperidine, a nitrogen-containing azacycloalkane, serves various functions including that of a reagent, a protic and non-polar solvent, a base, a catalyst, and a metabolite in both humans and plants. It is essentially a cyclohexane in which one carbon atom is substituted with a nitrogen atom.