ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTORECEPTOR, METHOD FOR PRODUCING ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHIC PHOTORECEPTOR, PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20110076605A1
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: HIRANO, Akira, NUKADA, Katsumi, YAMADA, Wataru, DOI, Takatsugu
• Application Number:
  US12/724,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20110076605A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/58.7
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/051 Organic non-macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0514 not comprising cyclic groups
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0525 Coating methods
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/071 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds G03G5/078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/072 comprising pending monoamine groups
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/142 Inert intermediate layers

Abstract

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes an electroconductive substrate and a photosensitive layer formed thereon, the photosensitive layer including a sub-layer that constitutes an outermost surface of the photosensitive layer, the sub-layer including an organic solvent having a boiling point of from about 65° C. to about 250° C. in an amount of from about 5,000 ppm to about 50,000 ppm, and the sub-layer including a polymer of a charge transporting material having a polymerizable group.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising an electroconductive substrate and a photosensitive layer formed thereon,

the photosensitive layer comprising a sub-layer that constitutes an outermost surface of the photosensitive layer,

the sub-layer comprising an organic solvent having a boiling point of from about 65°

C. to about 250°

C. in an amount of from about 5,000 ppm to about 50,000 ppm, and

the sub-layer comprising a polymer of a charge transporting material having a polymerizable group.

2. The electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1, wherein the amount of the organic solvent is from about 5,000 ppm to about 25,000 ppm.

3. The electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1, wherein the amount of the organic solvent is from about 10,000 ppm to about 25,000 ppm.

4. The electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1, wherein the boiling point of the organic solvent is from about 150°

C. to about 250°

C.

5. The electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1, wherein the boiling point of the organic solvent is from about 160°

C. to about 230°

C.

6. The electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1, wherein:

the sub-layer that constitutes the outermost surface of the photosensitive layer further comprises a polymerization initiator; and

the boiling point of the organic solvent is higher than a decomposition temperature of the polymerization initiator, and the difference between the boiling point of the organic solvent and the decomposition temperature of the polymerization initiator is more than about 0°

C. and about 125°

C. or less.

7. The electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1, wherein the number of the polymerizable groups included in the charge transporting material is two or more.

8. The electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1, wherein the organic solvent is at least one selected from the group consisting of cyclohexanone, methyl-n-hexyl ether, diisobutylketone, methylcyclohexanone, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, butyl acetate, dibutyl oxalate and cyclohexyl acetate.

9. The electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1, wherein the charge transporting material is at least one selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the following Formula (A):

13. A process cartridge which is attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus, the process cartridge comprising:

the electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1; and

at least one apparatus selected from the group consisting of a charger that charges the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a developing apparatus that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor with a toner, and a toner removal apparatus that removes the toner remaining on a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:

the electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 1;

a charger that charges the electrophotographic photoreceptor;

an electrostatic latent image forming apparatus that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged electrophotographic photoreceptor;

a developing apparatus that forms a toner image by developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the electrophotographic photoreceptor with a toner; and

a transfer apparatus that transfers the toner image to an image receiving body.

10. A method for producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising:

forming a photosensitive layer on an electroconductive substrate, the forming of the photosensitive layer comprising forming a sub-layer, which constitutes an outermost surface of the photosensitive layer, by subjecting a solution comprising at least an organic solvent having a boiling point of from about 65°

C. to about 250°

C. and a charge transporting material having a polymerizable group to heat polymerization at a temperature within 30°

C. of the boiling point of the organic solvent.

11. The method for producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 10, wherein the solution further comprises a heat polymerization initiator and a temperature at which an amount of the heat polymerization initiator decreases by half after being left for 10 hours is from about 10°

C. to about 100°

C.

12. The method for producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor of claim 10, wherein the heat polymerization is carried out at a temperature of about 160°

C. or more.