Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of quinoline-based drugs with antimicrobial and anticancer properties. It serves as a building block for constructing more complex heterocyclic compounds that exhibit biological activity. Its aldehyde functional group allows for easy modification through reactions such as condensation, reduction, or nucleophilic addition, enabling the introduction of various substituents. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry research for designing inhibitors targeting specific enzymes or receptors. Also utilized in the preparation of fluorescent probes due to the inherent chromophoric properties of the quinoline scaffold.