Used in the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates, particularly in the development of protease inhibitors and other biologically active compounds. Its nitro group allows for further chemical modifications, such as reduction to an amine, enabling peptide coupling and the construction of complex molecular structures. Commonly employed in research settings for designing enzyme inhibitors and studying amino acid metabolism. Also serves as a chiral building block in asymmetric synthesis, leveraging its stereochemistry for the preparation of enantiomerically pure drugs.