Were boost control IC's attempted in the past? Could be a challenge. From what I've observed the boost converter has peculiarities which require attention to design and assembly. Example, inductors are prone to generate high voltage spikes, perhaps sparks.
One spark inside a lead-acid battery and you risk a battery explosion.
A feedback circuit must be installed and adjusted to operate properly. If load is absent, how shall a control IC respond? The boost converter gets no feedback until it causes at least a few current bursts from the inductor. If load is absent then output voltage may quickly reach damaging levels.
There's the reservoir capacitor's voltage rating. How does the IC know what it is?
And what if the reservoir capacitor is gone? The inductor is almost invincible as it must generate a burst of current burst. And the control IC might be all there is to absorb it.