Glyoxal is a valuable building block in organic synthesis, especially in the synthesis of heterocycles such as imidazoles.[5] A convenient form of the reagent for use in the laboratory is its bis-hemiacetal with ethylene glycol, 1,4-dioxane-2,3-diol. This compound is commercially available.
Glyoxal solutions can also be used as a fixative for histology, that is, a method of preserving cells for examining them under a microscope.