Used as an intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) where trifluoromethyl groups enhance metabolic stability and bioavailability. Its reactivity allows for the introduction of the trifluoroacetyl moiety in heterocyclic compounds, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for creating analogs with improved pharmacokinetic profiles. Also employed in agrochemical research for designing novel pesticides and herbicides due to the electron-withdrawing nature of the trifluoroacetyl group, which can influence the compound’s binding affinity and environmental stability.