Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of peptides and pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of drugs targeting neurological disorders. It serves as a precursor in the production of compounds with potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Additionally, it is employed in biochemical research to study enzyme interactions and protein folding mechanisms due to its unique structural properties. Its naphthyl group enhances fluorescence, making it useful in fluorescence labeling and imaging techniques for cellular studies.