Elasticity-gated thermal plasticity via superheating-mediated nucleation and growth in polymer networks
Liang Gao
Nature Communications, Published online: 25 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73606-y It is useful to be able to determine the changes a material has undergone, but this is challenging in synthetic systems. Here, the authors report the development of a hydrogel materials conditioned by swelling, allowing determination of exposure to heat and salt by nucleation changes.