2-Pyridinethiol, also known as 2-mercaptopyridine or pyridine-2-thiol, is an organosulfur compound featuring a pyridine ring substituted with a thiol group at the 2-position. It exists in a tautomeric equilibrium with its thione form, 2(1H)-pyridinethione. This compound is a versatile chemical building block. Its primary and most significant industrial application is as a key precursor for the synthesis of zinc pyrithione (ZPT) and other metal pyrithione salts. Zinc pyrithione is a widely used broad-spectrum fungicide and bactericide. It is extensively employed in agriculture as a seed treatment and foliar fungicide to control various fungal diseases in crops. Beyond agriculture, ZPT derived from this compound is a dominant active ingredient in anti-dandruff shampoos and personal care products due to its antifungal and antibacterial properties against *Malassezia* species. The compound's reactivity, stemming from the thiol/thione group adjacent to the nitrogen atom in the pyridine ring, also makes it a valuable ligand in coordination chemistry and a useful intermediate in organic synthesis for constructing heterocyclic systems and metal complexes.