Three starting material structures' were tweaked to enhance production. The piperidine was protected with tert-butoxy carbamate (Boc) rather than benzyl group, the piperazine was differentially protected as a benzyl carbamate (Cbz) adjacent to the methyl cyanide, and the sodium salt of fluoroacrylic acid replaced the acid. Bocprotection of piperidine was desired to remove the need for expensive palladium in a simple deprotection, Cbzprotection was chosen for the piperazine to nullify compatibility issues in the downstream Buchwald-Hartwig coupling, and the sodium salt was selected for improved reactivity in the amide formation.