Aaron D Sadow

Aaron D Sadow serves as the David C. Henderson Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Iowa State University and holds a Senior Scientist position at Ames National Laboratory. His research program focuses on developing catalytic solutions for sustainable chemical synthesis and energy-related conversions, with significant emphasis on addressing plastic waste challenges through innovative catalytic processes.

The Sadow Group specializes in organometallic and inorganic catalyst design for green chemistry applications, including hydroamination, C–H bond activation/functionalization, and deoxygenation catalysis. Their work integrates ligand synthesis, main-group/lanthanide/transition metal chemistry, and mechanistic analysis through kinetics and stereochemistry to enable asymmetric synthesis, efficient resource utilization, and environmental impact reduction. Students gain hands-on expertise in synthesizing molecular compounds, spectroscopic characterization of catalytic sites, and kinetic methodology development.

Analysis of recent publications reveals a dominant research trajectory in catalytic polymer upcycling, particularly polyolefin hydrogenolysis and plastic waste valorization. The group employs advanced techniques like solid-state NMR for catalyst characterization and demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between materials science, organometallic chemistry, and sustainable engineering. Key thematic areas include zeolite-confined catalysts, metal nanoparticle systems, and molecular transformations for circular economy applications.

Professor Sadow leads an active research group within the Department of Chemistry at Iowa State University, maintaining close collaboration with Ames National Laboratory. The group's infrastructure supports comprehensive training in synthetic chemistry and catalytic mechanism studies, with research directions increasingly focused on practical solutions for plastic waste conversion and sustainable chemical manufacturing.