Gelation Process of Toluene-Based bis-Urea in Cyclohexane Studied with Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging was used for studies of the gelation and swelling processes of toluene-based bis-urea prepared in a form of cylindrical tablet and immersed in cyclohexane. The processes were investigated with the use of Bruker AVANCE (300 MHz) spectrometer equipped with a micro imaging probe head. The images were taken for cyclohexane protons within the bis-urea gel formed around the sample dry core at different intervals of the immersion. The mobility of the solvent molecules was estimated from the spatially resolved distribution of the spin-spin relaxation time T$\text{}_{2}$ and the spin densitiesρ, calculated on the basis of the images obtained. It was shown that the time-evolution of the thickness of the gel layer can be well described by the power equation with an exponent equal to 0.47 (±0.04), indicating the Fickian nature of the diffusion of cyclohexane molecules.