Used as an intermediate in organic synthesis, particularly in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. It serves as a protected form of 4-iodobenzoic acid, allowing selective reactions at other functional sites without interference from the carboxylic acid group. The tert-butyl ester group can be easily removed under mild acidic conditions, enabling controlled deprotection during multi-step syntheses. Its iodine functionality allows for cross-coupling reactions such as Suzuki or Heck reactions, making it valuable in constructing complex aromatic systems. Also employed in the development of radiolabeled compounds for medicinal imaging due to the presence of iodine, which can be substituted with radioactive isotopes.