Various
,
-unsaturated carbonyl compounds were coordinated with aluminum tris(2,6-diphenylphenoxide) (ATPH) to give the corresponding Lewis acid-base complexes in a distinctive coordinationfashion (selective coordination). ATPH recognizes carbonyl substrates and subsequently orients itself asit forms a stable complex through selective coordination with the carbonyl oxygen. Selective coordinationalso confers a conformational preference to each carbonyl compound under the steric and electronicinfluence of ATPH, which enables the vinylogous aldol reaction of
,
-unsaturated carbonyl compounds togive the corresponding
-aldol products with different regio- and stereoselectivities.