Widely used in organic synthesis, this compound serves as a key reagent in Wittig reactions, where it converts aldehydes and ketones into α,β-unsaturated esters. Its primary application lies in the construction of carbon-carbon double bonds with high selectivity, especially in the synthesis of complex molecules such as natural products, pharmaceuticals, and fine chemicals. Due to the presence of the ester group, the resulting olefins are versatile intermediates that can undergo further transformations like hydrogenation, hydrolysis, or conjugate addition. The reagent is particularly valued for producing trans-selective olefins under appropriate reaction conditions. It is also employed in the preparation of conjugated systems important in materials science and medicinal chemistry.