Can be used to protect alcohols as their 2-iodobenzoates by DCC coupling. The group is removed by oxidation with chlorine under basic conditions: Tetrahedron Lett., 28, 5005 (1987). In the presence of Tetrakis(triphenyl-phosphine)-palladium(0)-, and zinc chloride, undergoes cyclization with terminal acetylenes to give isocoumarins: J. Org. Chem., 60, 3711 (1995).