Used primarily in pharmaceutical research as a potent sigma receptor ligand, particularly targeting sigma-1 and sigma-2 receptors. These receptors are implicated in neurological and psychiatric disorders, making the compound valuable in studies related to pain management, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, and depression. Its structure allows for high selectivity and binding affinity, which supports its use in developing novel central nervous system agents. Also employed in positron emission tomography (PET) tracer development due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier effectively. Research applications include probing receptor distribution in brain tissue and evaluating therapeutic potential in oncology, as sigma receptors are overexpressed in certain tumor cells.