An arbitrary convention according to which (+)-glyceraldehyde, now known to be (
R)-2,3-dihydroxypropanal, was named
d-glyceraldehyde (with the
enantiomerl-glyceraldehyde and its
racematedl-glyceraldehyde) and taken to have the
absolute configuration represented by the
Fischer projection formula shown in the diagram.
The atom numbered 1 according to normal nomenclature rules is conventionally placed
at the top of the main chain, which is drawn vertically and other groups are drawn
on either side of that main chain. The convention is still in use for α-amino acids
and for
sugars.
Source:
PAC, 1996, 68, 2193
(Basic terminology of stereochemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1996))
on page 2208
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by
A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).
XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,
J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.
