Configurational prefixes, chemical names

Use italic type for positional, stereochemical, configurational, and descriptive structural prefixes when they appear with the chemical name or formula. Use a hyphen to separate them from the chemical name. Accepted prefixes include the following ... 

In chemical names, use (R) and (S), with designated locants when applicable, as prefixes to designate absolute configuration. 

All carbohydrates can exist in either of these two forms and the prefix of D or L only refers to the configuration around the highest numbered asymmetric carbon atom. Enantiomers have the same name (e.g. D-glucose and L-glucose) and are chemically similar compounds but have different optical properties. The majority of naturally occurring monosaccharides, whether they be aldoses or ketoses, are of the D configuration. 

A new, fully developed nomenclature system was published in 1984 by the Japanese chemist Hirayama. The system known under the name HIRN contains many novel ideas and is accepted as an important development in the field of chemical nomenclature. The approach is to use a nodal configuration for acyclic and some cyclic structures, and a system based on the arrangement of six-membered rings for aromatic compounds and related structures. This latter approach is then extended to cover other ring sizes by use of prefixes denoting reduction and enlargement of the ring size. 

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