Ethyl 2-Hydroxybutyrate is used to prepare 1,5-diarylpyrazole derivatives with herbicidal activities. It is also used in the synthesis of antagonists benzofuranylpiperidines and benzothiophenylpiperidines.
Kudo, N., et al.: Chem. Pharm. Bull., 47, 857 (1999); Watanabe, Y., et al.: J. Heterocyclic Chem., 30, 445 (1993)