六螺苯最早由紐曼(M. S. Newman)與萊德尼瑟(D. Lednicer)在1956年合成,是通過雙芳基取代的二酸分步發生傅-克分子內成環而製得。[2]現有多種螺烴的合成方法,可用於一系列各類取代螺烴的合成。關鍵環系的構建多用芪類作前體發生光環化實現。1975年製得的最長的螺烯——[14]螺烯即由此法合成。
^Diels-Alder Additions of Benzynes within Helicene Skeletons David Zhigang Wang, Thomas J. Katz, James Golen, and Arnold L. Rheingold J. Org. Chem.; 2004; 69(22) pp 7769 - 7771 DOI Graphical Abstract[永久失效連結]
^Melvin S. Newman, Daniel Lednicer (1956), "The Synthesis and Resolution of Hexahelicene", J. Am. Chem. Soc.78 (18): 4765–4770. doi:10.1021/ja01599a060.
^Preparation of Helicenes through Olefin Metathesis Shawn K. Collins, Alain Grandbois, Martin P. Vachon, Julie Côté Angewandte Chemie International Edition Volume 45, Issue 18 , Pages 2923 - 2926 2006Abstract
^Synthesis of Hexahelicene and 1-Methoxyhexahelicene via Cycloisomerization of Biphenylyl-Naphthalene Derivatives. Storch J., Sýkora J., Čermák J., Karban J., Císařová I., Růžička A. J. Org. Chem.2009, 74, 3090. doi: 10.1021/jo900077j (頁面存檔備份,存於網際網路檔案館)