Tetracoordinate Boron-Fused Double [5]Helicenes as Cathode Active Materials for Lithium Batteries

Double [5]helicenes possessing two tetracoordinated boron atoms at the ring junctions were synthesized from glycine anhydride in three steps. The helicene with fluorine substituents on the boron atoms was employed as a cathode active material in a lithium battery to demonstrate moderate performance in the 1.8–3.5 V range with more than 63 mAh g–1 discharge capacity for 20 cycles and high Coulombic efficiency of over 90%.