Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of dyes and pigments, particularly in the production of azo dyes due to its nitro and phenolic functional groups. It also serves in the development of certain pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals where nitrophenol derivatives are required. Its methoxy and nitro substituents make it useful in organic transformations involving electrophilic substitution or reduction reactions. Additionally, it has been employed in analytical chemistry as a reagent for detecting specific functional groups in organic compounds.