Experimental studies have shown that iodine on its own can nucleate. However, the exact contributions of different iodine-containing compounds are still not fully understood due to disagreements on the nucleation pathway. Studies are split between an iodine oxyacid path (iodic acid and iodous acid) and an iodine oxide pathway. Thus a definitive conclusion is yet to be reached. The oxyacids and oxides are linked through hydrolysis reactions, and new experiments have shed some light on the effects of hydration on iodine-driven nucleation., however a comprehensive mechanistic understanding is still missing.