Plastic ice has been synthesized! (University of Rome)

The existence of plastic ice (plastic crystalline ice), predicted by the Tanaka group (the predecessor of our current laboratory) in 2008, has apparently been confirmed. Ice VII, which forms under ultra-high pressure, is said to be extremely hard. However, when heated, before the crystal structure collapses entirely, it transforms into a very soft crystal (barely maintaining its structural integrity) where water molecules can rotate freely. This state is called plastic ice (plastic crystalline ice).