Used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, particularly in the development of nitrofuran antibiotics and certain herbicides. Its functional groups—aldehyde, nitro, and methoxy—allow for selective reactions, making it valuable in multi-step organic syntheses. Commonly employed in condensation reactions to build heterocyclic compounds, it also finds use in the preparation of dyes and fluorescent probes due to its electron-withdrawing substituents and aromatic structure.