Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of complex organic molecules, particularly in pharmaceuticals where stereochemistry is critical. Its protected alcohol and sulfonate ester functionalities make it suitable for selective transformations in multi-step syntheses. Commonly employed in the preparation of bioactive compounds, including protease inhibitors and other therapeutic agents requiring high enantiomeric purity. The benzyl group acts as a protecting group that can be removed under mild conditions, allowing further modification. Its sulfonate moiety is a good leaving group, enabling nucleophilic substitution reactions to introduce additional structural diversity.