Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of peptide-based drugs and heterocyclic compounds. Its protected functional groups allow for selective reactions in multi-step organic syntheses. Commonly employed in the preparation of protease inhibitors and other bioactive molecules where stereochemistry is critical. The BOC group provides stability during synthesis and can be easily removed under mild acidic conditions, making it ideal for solid-phase and solution-phase peptide coupling strategies. Also utilized in the production of nootropics and cognitive enhancers due to its structural similarity to pyroglutamate derivatives involved in neurological pathways.