The steric strain is relieved on protonation, hence it is one of the strongest organic bases known, but is only weakly nucleophilic: Chem. Commun., 723 (1968). In DMF vic-dibromides are debrominated in high yield: Synth. Commun., 5, 87 (1975).
Has been used In combination with Diphenyl-phosphonic azide, for the conversion of carboxylic acids to isocyanates: Synth. Commun., 23, 335 (1993).