Used as a chiral building block in organic synthesis, particularly in the preparation of complex natural products and pharmaceuticals. Its stereochemistry and protected alcohol functionalities make it valuable for constructing glycerol derivatives, nucleoside analogs, and bioactive molecules where stereocontrol is critical. Commonly employed in the synthesis of antiviral and anticancer agents due to its ability to mimic glycerol moieties in biologically active compounds. The benzyl groups serve as protecting groups that can be selectively removed under mild conditions, allowing stepwise functionalization of the molecule.