Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of serotonin receptor modulators and other central nervous system agents. Its structural features, including the bromo substituent at position 5 and the isopropyl group at position 3, make it valuable in medicinal chemistry for constructing indole-based bioactive molecules and modifying structures to enhance receptor binding. Commonly employed in research settings to design compounds with potential antidepressant, antipsychotic, or anti-migraine activity. Also utilized in the preparation of analogs for structure-activity relationship studies. Additionally, it serves as a starting material for synthesizing fluorescent or luminescent compounds in molecular biology research for tracking the function of proteins or nucleic acids.