Used primarily as an intermediate in the synthesis of fluorescent dyes and optical brighteners for textiles and paper. It also serves in the development of agrochemicals, particularly as a building block for certain herbicides and plant growth regulators. Its nitro and chloro functional groups allow for further chemical modifications, making it valuable in organic synthesis for pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. Additionally, derivatives of this compound are explored in research for their potential use in imaging agents and sensors due to their fluorescence properties.