Primarily used in pharmaceutical research, 2-Mercaptopyrimidine serves as a key intermediate in the synthesis of various biologically active compounds. It plays a significant role in the development of antiviral and anticancer drugs due to its ability to interact with specific enzymes and proteins. Additionally, it is utilized in organic synthesis for creating heterocyclic compounds, which are essential in medicinal chemistry. Its sulfur-containing structure also makes it valuable in the preparation of ligands for metal coordination complexes, which are used in catalysis and material science.