• Radical inhibitor and antioxidant, readily soluble in nonpolar media. Finds widespread use in the inhibition of peroxide formation in ether solvents and also as a preservative/ antioxidant for unsaturated oils and fats in the food, synthetic rubber and paint industries.
• Source of t-butyl group in aromatic substitution reactions. For reviews of the use of t-butyl as a positional protecting group for aromatic substitution reactions, readily removable with, e.g. AlCl 3 in toluene, see: Org. Prep. Proced. Int., 8, 51 (1976); Synthesis, 921 (1979).