Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with analgesic or anti-inflammatory properties. It serves as a building block in heterocyclic chemistry, enabling the formation of fused ring systems such as quinazolines and benzimidazoles. Its nitrile and ester functionalities allow for selective transformations, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. Also employed in the preparation of dyes and functional materials due to its aromatic and electron-withdrawing characteristics.