Used as a protecting group reagent in organic synthesis, particularly for masking aldehyde and ketone functionalities. It reacts under acidic conditions to form acetals or ketals, which are stable to bases and nucleophiles, allowing selective transformations elsewhere in the molecule. Commonly employed in carbohydrate chemistry and natural product synthesis where sensitive functional groups must be preserved during multi-step reactions. Also serves as a water scavenger in esterification and dehydration reactions due to its ability to react with water, forming isopropanol and carbon-based byproducts. Its bulky structure enhances selectivity in certain transformations, making it preferred over smaller orthoesters in sterically controlled reactions.