Used as a glycosyl donor in carbohydrate synthesis, particularly in the preparation of complex oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Its protected hydroxyl groups and stable phthalimido function allow selective glycosylation reactions, making it valuable in the synthesis of biologically active natural products and pharmaceutical intermediates. Commonly employed in the construction of glycosidic linkages found in bacterial cell wall components and other glycan structures. The benzyl groups provide ether protection that can be removed under mild conditions, enabling further functionalization in multi-step syntheses.