Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, 4-nitropyridine serves as a building block for nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds. Its nitro group allows for easy reduction to an amino group, enabling the formation of 4-aminopyridine derivatives, which are important in medicinal chemistry. It is also employed in the development of dyes and functional materials due to its electron-deficient aromatic ring, which supports various nucleophilic substitution reactions. Additionally, it finds use in coordination chemistry as a ligand precursor for metal complexes with catalytic or optical properties.