Sodium DL-mandelate is the sodium salt of racemic mandelic acid (2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetic acid), serving as a versatile intermediate in organic synthesis. It is commonly used as a building block for the preparation of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and other fine chemicals due to its alpha-hydroxy acid functionality, which allows for diverse reactions such as esterification, amidation, and further derivatization. The racemic nature makes it suitable for non-chiral syntheses or as a starting material that can be subsequently resolved into enantiopure forms for asymmetric applications. Its high solubility in water and polar solvents facilitates its use in aqueous or mixed-solvent reaction systems.