Imidazole is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as a building block for synthesizing drugs, particularly antifungal agents like ketoconazole and miconazole. It also serves as a key component in the development of anticancer, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory medications due to its ability to enhance drug binding and solubility.

In biochemical research, imidazole is commonly used in protein purification, especially in affinity chromatography for His-tagged proteins, where it elutes bound proteins from nickel-based resins. It acts as a buffer in biological systems because of its suitable pKa around physiological pH, making it effective in maintaining stable pH conditions during experiments.

Imidazole derivatives are also found in agrochemicals, serving as fungicides and pesticides in crop protection. Additionally, it is used in the synthesis of ionic liquids and corrosion inhibitors for industrial applications. Its role in coordination chemistry includes acting as a ligand in metal complexes used in catalysis and material science.