Used primarily as a chelating agent in analytical chemistry, especially for the extraction and determination of metal ions such as lanthanides and transition metals. Its ability to form stable, lipophilic complexes makes it valuable in solvent extraction processes and in the preparation of luminescent complexes for use in time-resolved fluorescence assays. Commonly employed in the synthesis of europium and terbium chelates, which are widely used as fluorescent probes in immunoassays and bioimaging due to their strong emission and long fluorescence lifetimes. Also finds use in coordination chemistry for studying metal-ligand interactions and in the development of sensors for metal ion detection.