Trifluoromethyl group

Conversely, the trifluoromethyl group lowers the basicity of compounds like trifluoroethanol.

The trifluoromethyl group occurs in certain pharmaceuticals, drugs, and abiotically synthesized natural fluorocarbon based compounds.

This can be used to adjust the steric and electronic properties of a lead compound, or to protect a reactive methyl group from metabolic oxidation.

Some notable drugs containing trifluoromethyl groups include efavirenz (Sustiva), an HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitor; fluoxetine (Prozac), an antidepressant; and celecoxib (Celebrex), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.

Finally, trifluoromethyl carbonyls can be prepared by reaction of aldehydes and esters with Ruppert's reagent.