Used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly as a chiral building block for drugs targeting central nervous system disorders. Its trifluoromethyl group enhances metabolic stability and bioavailability, making it valuable in the development of antidepressants and antipsychotics. Commonly employed in asymmetric synthesis to introduce chirality in active pharmaceutical ingredients. Also utilized in research for developing novel neuroactive compounds due to its structural similarity to known neurotransmitter analogs.