Used as a glycosyl donor in carbohydrate synthesis, particularly in the preparation of complex oligosaccharides. The nitrophenyl group acts as a chromogenic tag, allowing for easy monitoring of glycosylation reactions by UV detection. The acetyl protecting groups stabilize the molecule during synthesis and can be selectively removed to enable further chain elongation. Commonly employed in enzymatic and chemical glycosylation studies to probe enzyme activity or build biologically relevant sugar structures.