Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly analgesics and other drugs affecting the central nervous system, such as tapentadol. It serves as a chiral building block in asymmetric synthesis, enabling the development of enantiomerically pure compounds. Additionally, it is utilized in organic chemistry research to create derivatives with the chlorine substituent at the meta position, aiding in structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. It also finds use in the preparation of agrochemicals and fine chemicals due to its aromatic and alcohol functionalities, which allow for diverse chemical transformations.