Used as an intermediate in organic synthesis, particularly in the preparation of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. Its ester and chloromethyl functional groups allow for sequential transformations, enabling the construction of complex molecules. Commonly employed in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) where the tert-butyl ester acts as a protecting group, and the chloromethyl moiety can be displaced to introduce additional substituents. Also utilized in the synthesis of ligands and functionalized aromatic compounds for medicinal chemistry research.