Used historically as a dye intermediate in the textile industry due to its strong azo group, which imparts color stability. It has also been employed in research settings to study azo compound metabolism and mutagenicity. Due to structural concerns related to aromatic amines, its use has been largely discontinued or restricted in commercial applications. It serves as a model compound in toxicology studies, particularly in assessing liver carcinogenicity and metabolic activation of azo dyes.