Used primarily in peptide synthesis, this compound serves as a building block for creating modified peptides with enhanced stability and biological activity. It is particularly valuable in the development of peptide-based drugs, where the incorporation of difluorinated homophenylalanine can improve resistance to enzymatic degradation and alter binding affinity to target proteins. Additionally, it is employed in research to study the effects of fluorination on peptide structure and function, aiding in the design of therapeutics for conditions like cancer and infectious diseases. Its Fmoc protection group allows for efficient deprotection during solid-phase peptide synthesis, making it a practical choice for laboratory applications.