Used as an intermediate in organic synthesis, particularly in the pharmaceutical and polymer industries. It serves as a building block for the preparation of specialty polyesters and polyamides, where one carboxylic acid group is protected as a benzyl ester, allowing selective reactions at the other functional site. The benzyl group can be removed under mild conditions, enabling stepwise synthesis in complex molecule assembly. It is also employed in the development of biodegradable polymers and drug conjugates due to its bifunctional reactivity and compatibility with various coupling reactions.