Used primarily as a reagent in organic synthesis, this compound serves as an efficient chlorinating and activating agent. It is especially valuable in the preparation of carbamates and urethanes by introducing the trichloroethoxycarbonyl (Troc) protecting group for amines. The Troc group can be selectively removed under mild reducing conditions, making it useful in multi-step syntheses, particularly in peptide and nucleotide chemistry. Its ability to generate N-hydroxysuccinimide esters also facilitates bioconjugation reactions and labeling of biomolecules. Additionally, it acts as a stable source of electrophilic chlorine in various halogenation reactions.