Used as a protecting group reagent in organic synthesis, particularly for the protection of hydroxyl groups. It facilitates selective reactions by masking reactive sites during multi-step syntheses, especially in carbohydrate and nucleoside chemistry. The benzyloxymethyl group can be introduced under mild conditions and is stable under a variety of reaction conditions, yet can be removed selectively using hydrogenolysis or acidic hydrolysis when needed. Its use improves yield and specificity in complex molecule assembly.