Used as a chiral building block in organic synthesis, particularly in the preparation of complex natural products and pharmaceuticals. Its rigid cyclic structure and multiple stereocenters make it valuable for asymmetric synthesis. The benzyl-protected hydroxyl groups allow for selective deprotection and functionalization, enabling its use in the synthesis of nucleoside analogs and other bioactive molecules. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for constructing sugar-like scaffolds with defined stereochemistry.