Used primarily as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly in the development of tricyclic antidepressants. Its structure serves as a key building block for modifying bioactive molecules targeting the central nervous system. It is also employed in research settings for exploring new psychoactive substances and studying structure-activity relationships in azepine derivatives. Due to the nitro group, it can undergo reduction to form amino derivatives, which are valuable in further chemical transformations for drug discovery.