Rate My Professor Aaron Sadow

The Sadow group's research centers on organometallic chemistry and catalysis, synthesizing organometallic and inorganic compounds to develop new catalytic reactions for green chemistry, stereoselective synthesis, hydroamination, C-H bond activation and functionalization, deoxygenation, and conversion of abundant raw materials and plastic waste into valuable chemicals. Key publications include "Ultrasmall amorphous zirconia nanoparticles catalyse polyolefin hydrogenolysis" (Nature Catalysis, 2023), "Surface Protected Organozirconium Catalyzes C–H Alumination of Saturated Hydrocarbons" (Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025), "A Semi-Flow Reactor Design Diverts Catalytic Hydrogenolysis of Polyolefins to Metastable Kinetic Products" (Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2026), "Data-Driven Discovery of Bimetallic Nanoparticles Catalysts for the Hydrogenolysis of Polyethylene" (ACS Catalysis, 2026), and the book chapter “Alkali and Alkaline Earth Element-Catalyzed Hydroboration Reactions” in Early Main Group Metal Catalysis (2020). With over 7,600 citations on Google Scholar, Sadow's contributions have advanced sustainable catalysis. His honors include election as an AAAS Fellow in 2022, Iowa State University Mid-Career Achievement in Research Award in 2016, Liberal Arts and Sciences Early Achievement in Research Award in 2011, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship in 2010, and NSF CAREER Award in 2010.