Used as a glycosyl donor in carbohydrate chemistry, particularly in the synthesis of complex oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Its protected acetyl groups allow selective deprotection and further chain elongation, making it valuable in the preparation of biologically active glycan structures. Commonly employed in enzymatic and chemical glycosylation studies to model natural glycosylation pathways. Also serves as an intermediate in the development of glycosidase inhibitors and vaccine candidates targeting bacterial polysaccharides.