Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process for producing electrophotographic photosensitive member, and electrophotographic apparatus and process cartridge including electrophotographic photosensitive member

An electrophotographic photosensitive member, comprising:

• an electrically conductive support;
• and
• a photosensitive layer on the support, wherein
• a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a copolymer of a polymerizable functional group-containing charge transporting substance and a compound represented by formula (1):
• where Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group and is an m-valent group obtained by eliminating m number of hydrogen atoms each bonded to a benzene ring of a compound represented by structural formulae Ar-1 to Ar-6:
• Ln represents a divalent group represented by formula (3) or formula (4);
• Fn represents a polymerizable functional group;
• and
• m represents an integer of 1 to 4 and when m is equal to or larger than 2, m number of structures in parenthesis are the same or different:
• the benzene rings of formulae Ar-1 to Ar-6 are each independently optionally substituted with R1, where R1 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group;
• and
• substituents on Ar and R1 are independently each an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms:
• where R4 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and p represents 0 or 1;
• and
• R5 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and r represents an integer of 1 to 4.

A process cartridge integrally supporting:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising an electrically conductive support and a photosensitive layer on the support;
• and at least one unit selected from the group consisting of a charging unit, a developing unit and a cleaning unit, the process cartridge detachably attachable to an electrophotographic apparatus main body, wherein
• a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a copolymer of a polymerizable functional group-containing charge transporting substance and a compound represented by formula (1):
• where Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group and is an m-valent group obtained by eliminating m number of hydrogen atoms each bonded to a benzene ring of a compound represented by formula (2) other than from R1, R2 and R3;
• Ln represents a divalent group represented by formula (3) or formula (4);
• Fn represents a polymerizable functional group;
• and
• m represents an integer of 1 to 4 and when m is equal to or larger than 2, m number of structures in parenthesis are the same or different:
• where R1, R2 and R3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group;
• and
• substituents on Ar, R1, R2 and R3 are each an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms:
• where R4 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and p represents 0 or 1;
• and
• R5 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and r represents an integer of 1 to 4.

An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising an electrically conductive support and a photosensitive layer on the support;
• a charging unit;
• an exposing unit;
• a developing unit;
• and
• a transfer unit, wherein
• a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a copolymer of a polymerizable functional group-containing charge transporting substance and a compound represented by formula (1):
• where Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group and is an m-valent group obtained by eliminating m number of hydrogen atoms each bonded to a benzene ring of a compound represented by formula (2) other than from R1, R2 and R3;
• Ln represents a divalent group represented by formula (3) or formula (4);
• Fn represents a polymerizable functional group;
• and
• m represents an integer of 1 to 4 and when m is equal to or larger than 2, m number of structures in parenthesis are the same or different:
• where R1, R2 and R3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group;
• and
• substituents on Ar, R1, R2 and R3 are each an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms:
• where R4 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and p represents 0 or 1;
• and
• R5 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and r represents an integer of 1 to 4.

A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising:

• an electrically conductive support;
• and a photosensitive layer on the support, the process comprising polymerizing a coating film of a coating liquid prepared by mixing a polymerizable functional group-containing charge transporting substance and a compound represented by formula (1), thereby forming a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member:
• where Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group and is an m-valent group obtained by eliminating m number of hydrogen atoms each bonded to a benzene ring of a structure represented by formula (2) other than from R1, R2 and R3;
• Ln represents a divalent group represented by formula (3) or formula (4);
• Fn represents a polymerizable functional group;
• and
• m represents an integer of 1 to 4 and when m is equal to or larger than 2, m number of structures in parenthesis are the same or different:
• where R1, R2 and R3 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group;
• and
• substituents on Ar, R1, R2 and R3 are each an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms:
• where R4 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and p represents 0 or 1;
• and
• R5 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and r represents an integer of 1 to 4.