Used as a chiral building block in organic synthesis, particularly in the development of pharmaceuticals. Its rigid cyclobutane backbone and two functional groups allow for selective transformations, making it valuable in constructing stereochemically defined molecules. Commonly employed in the synthesis of bioactive compounds where control of three-dimensional structure is critical. The ester and carboxylic acid groups can be independently modified, enabling its incorporation into larger molecular frameworks such as peptidomimetics or enzyme inhibitors.