Used in organic synthesis as an intermediate for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. It serves as a building block in the preparation of quinoline-based compounds with biological activity, including potential antimalarial and anticancer agents. Its reactive chloromethyl group allows for easy functionalization, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry research and development of new drug candidates. Also employed in the synthesis of fluorescent dyes and optical brighteners due to the inherent fluorescence of the quinoline scaffold.