Used in organic synthesis as an intermediate for pharmaceuticals and bioactive compounds. Its nitrile group allows for functional group transformations, such as hydrolysis to carboxylic acids or reduction to primary amines, enabling the construction of more complex molecules. The cyclobutane ring provides structural rigidity, which is valuable in medicinal chemistry for modulating potency and metabolic stability. Commonly employed in research settings to develop potential drug candidates, especially in neuroscience and central nervous system disorders due to the structural similarity to known neuroactive scaffolds. Also utilized in the preparation of analogs for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies.