11.3 The D and L Notations
The notations D and L are used to describe the configurations of carbohydrates and amino acids. Glyceraldehyde has been chosen as arbitrary standard for the D and L notation in sugar chemistry. Because, this has an asymmetric carbon and can exist as a pair of enantiomers.
In a Fischer projection, the carbonyl group is always placed on the top position for monosaccharide. From its structure, if the –OH group attached to the bottom-most asymmetric center (the carbon that is second from the bottom) is on the right, then, the compound is a D-sugar. If the –OH group is on the left, then, the compound is a L-sugar. Almost all sugars found in nature are D-sugar.
Like R and S , D and L indicate the configuration of an asymmetric carbon, but they do not indicate whether the compound rotates polarized light to the right or to the left. For example, D-glyceraldehyde is dextrorotatory, whereas D-lactic acid is levorotatory. In other words, optical rotation, like melting or boiling points, is a physical property of a compound, whereas “ R , S , D, and L” are conventions humans use to indicate the configuration of a molecule.
