Tropolone is widely used as a chelating agent in coordination chemistry due to its ability to form stable complexes with various metal ions. Its unique seven-membered aromatic ring with a ketone group allows it to act as a bidentate ligand, making it valuable in the synthesis of metal-based catalysts and materials.

In biological applications, tropolone exhibits antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, leading to its use in research for developing new antimicrobial agents. It also serves as an inhibitor of certain enzymes, such as histone deacetylases (HDACs), which makes it a useful tool in biochemical and pharmacological studies related to gene expression and cancer research.

Tropolone is employed in analytical chemistry for the selective extraction and detection of metal ions like copper, iron, and aluminum. Its derivatives are explored in materials science for designing sensors and functional organic materials due to their electronic and structural properties.