Used as a chiral building block in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, particularly in the development of central nervous system agents and antidepressants. Its enantiomeric purity makes it valuable for creating stereoselective drugs where the (R)-configuration enhances biological activity or reduces side effects. Commonly employed in medicinal chemistry for structure-activity relationship studies involving aryl-substituted amines. Also utilized in the preparation of trifluoromethyl-containing compounds to improve metabolic stability and membrane permeability in drug candidates.