Condensation polymer photoconductive elements

• US 7,541,124 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Molaire, Michel F., Weiss, David S., Ferrar, Wayne T., Wilson, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dote, Janis L
• Application Number:
  US11/210,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20070042282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 430/60, 430/64, 430/65, 430/123.4
• US Class Current: 430/64
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/056 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0571 Polyamides; Polyimides
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0575 Other polycondensates comprising nitrogen atoms with or without oxygen atoms in the main chain
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0589 Macromolecular compounds characterised by specific side-chain substituents or end groups
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0592 Macromolecular compounds characterised by their structure or by their chemical properties, e.g. block polymers, reticulated polymers, molecular weight, acidity
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/0596 Macromolecular compounds characterised by their physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/142 Inert intermediate layers

Abstract

The present invention relates to photoconductive elements having an electrically conductive support, an electrical barrier layer and, disposed over the barrier layer, a charge generation layer capable of generating positive charge carriers when exposed to actinic radiation. The electrical barrier layer, which restrains injection of positive charge carriers from the conductive support, comprises a crosslinker, a crosslinkable condensation polymer having as a repeating unit a planar, electron-deficient, tetracarbonylbisimide group.

Claims

1. A photoconductive element comprising an electrically conductive support, an electrical barrier layer disposed over said electrically conductive support, a charge generation layer capable of generating positive charge carriers when exposed to actinic radiation disposed over said barrier layer, said barrier layer comprising a crosslinker, and a crosslinkable condensation polymer having covalently bonded as repeating units in the polymer chain, aromatic tetracarbonylbisimide groups of the formula:

2. The photoconductive element of claim 1 wherein said crosslinker comprises diethyl malonate blocked isocyanate.

3. The photoconductive element of claim 2 wherein said crosslinking agent comprises:

4. The photoconductive element of claim 3 wherein said crosslinking agent contains a catalyst.

5. The photoconductive element of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive support comprises a flexible material having a layer of metal disposed thereon.

6. The photoconductive element of claim 5 wherein the metal is nickel.

7. The photoconductive element of claim 5 wherein the metal is aluminum.

8. The photoconductive element of claim 1 wherein the barrier layer has a thickness of between 0.5 and 3 micrometers.

9. A photoconductive element comprising an electrically conductive support, an electrical barrier layer disposed over said electrically conductive support, a charge generation layer capable of generating positive charge carriers when exposed to actinic radiation disposed over said barrier layer, said barrier layer comprising a crosslinker, and a condensation polymer, which polymer comprises a crosslinkable polyester-co-imide that contains an aromatic tetracarbonylbisimide group and has the formula:

10. A photoconductive element comprising an electrically conductive support, an electrical barrier layer disposed over said electrically conductive support, a charge generation layer capable of generating positive charge carriers when exposed to actinic radiation disposed over said barrier layer, said barrier layer comprising a crosslinker, and a condensation polymer derived from the formula:

11. A photoconductive element comprising an electrically conductive support, an electrical barrier layer disposed over said electrically conductive support, a charge generation layer capable of generating positive charge carriers when exposed to actinic radiation disposed over said barrier layer, said barrier layer comprising a crosslinker, and a condensation polymer, comprising a condensation polymer having covalently bonded as repeating units in the polymer chain, aromatic tetracarbonylbisimide groups derived from the formula:

12. A method of forming an image comprising providing a photoreceptor, charging said photoreceptor, exposing said photoreceptor to actinic radiation, developing said image with a toner, and transferring said image to a receiver sheet, wherein the photoreceptor comprises an electrically conductive support, an electrical barrier layer disposed over said electrically conductive support, a charge generation layer capable of generating positive charge carriers when exposed to actinic radiation disposed over said barrier layer, said barrier layer comprising a crosslinker, and a condensation polymer comprising a crosslinkable condensation polymer having covalently bonded as repeating units in the polymer chain, aromatic tetracarbonylbisimide groups of the formula:

13. A method of forming an image comprising providing a photoreceptor, charging said photoreceptor, exposing said photoreceptor to actinic radiation, developing said image with a toner, and transferring said image to a receiver sheet, wherein the photoreceptor comprises an electrically conductive support, an electrical baffler layer disposed over said electrically conductive support, a charge generation layer capable of generating positive charge carriers when exposed to actinic radiation disposed over said barrier layer, said barrier layer comprising a crosslinker, and a condensation polymer comprises a crosslinkable polyester-co-imide that contains an aromatic tetracarbonylbisimide group and has the formula: