Hydrazine,
monomethylhydrazine, and ethylenediamine react readily
and reversibly with carbon dioxide to form hydrazinium carboxylate,
monomethylhydrazinium carboxylate, and ammonium carbamate adducts,
respectively. These adducts act as low molecular weight gelators,
which self-assemble and in doing so trap unreacted hydrazine or diamine.
The properties and molecular structures of the gels were investigated
by means of elemental analysis, DSC/TGA, heteronuclear NMR (1H, 15N, and 13C), diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy
(DOSY), and cryo-immobilized high resolution scanning electron microscopy
(cryo-HRSEM). These complementary techniques provided the foundation
for developing a pictorial representation of the bulk gel structures
on the molecular level.