Used as a glycosyl donor or building block in carbohydrate chemistry for synthesizing complex oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Commonly employed in studies involving glycosidic bond formation, especially in the development of biologically active natural products and analogs. Serves as a model compound for investigating enzymatic and acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of glycosides due to its structural similarity to ribose-containing biomolecules. Also utilized in the preparation of modified sugars for pharmaceutical and biochemical research, including antimicrobial and antiviral agent design.