Used primarily as a specialty reagent in organic synthesis, particularly in the preparation of tert-butyl esters and other protected intermediates. Its high steric hindrance makes it useful in selective acylation reactions where controlled reactivity is required. It serves as a safe, stable alternative to more hazardous oxalyl chlorides in certain esterification processes. Also employed in polymer chemistry as a crosslinking agent or monomer modifier due to its ability to introduce bulky tert-butyl groups. Its thermal lability allows for easy removal under mild conditions, making it valuable in multi-step syntheses where protecting group strategies are critical.