Electrostatographic imaging member with anti-curl layer comprising a reaction product of a binder bi-functional coupling agent and crystalline particles

A flexible electrophotographic imaging member comprising a supporting substrate layer having an electrically conductive surface, an electrophotographic imaging layer comprising a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer on one side of said substrate layer, and an anti-curl layer on the side of said substrate layer opposite said electrophotographic imaging layer, said anti-curl layer comprising a thermoplastic resin film forming binder having a T.sub.g of at least about 40.degree. C., crystalline silica particles dispersed in said film forming binder and a reaction product of a silane bi-functional chemical coupling agent with both said film forming binder and said crystalline silica particles, said anti-curl layer having a thickness sufficient to substantially balance the total forces of layers on the side of said supporting substrate layer opposite said anti-curl layer, said crystalline silica particles and said bi-functional coupling agent being chemically bonded to each other through an oxygen atom by a chemical reaction between reactive hydroxyl groups chemically attached to silicon atoms located on the outer surface of said crystalline silica particles and reactive groups on molecules of said bi-functional coupling agent, and said bi-functional chemical coupling agent and said film forming binder being chemically bonded to each other by a chemical reaction between organo functional reactive groups on molecules of said bi-functional chemical coupling agent and reactive groups on molecules of said film forming binder selected from the group consisting of COOH, OH, vinyl, amino, amide, epoxide and carbonyl groups.

An electrophotographic imaging process comprising providing a flexible electrophotographic imaging member comprising a a supporting substrate layer having an electrically conductive surface, at least one electrophotographic imaging layer on one side of said substrate layer, and an anti-curl layer on the side of said substrate layer opposite said electrophotographic imaging layer, said anti-curl layer comprising a thermoplastic resin film forming binder having a T.sub.g of at least about 40.degree. C., crystalline particles dispersed in said film forming binder and a reaction product of a bi-functional chemical coupling agent with both said film forming binder and said crystalline particles, said anti-curl layer having a thickness sufficient to substantially balance the total forces of layers on the side of said supporting substrate layer opposite said anti-curl layer, said crystalline particles having metal or metalloid atoms located on the outer surface of said crystalline particles, said crystalline particles and said bi-functional coupling agent being chemically bonded to each other through an oxygen atom by a chemical reaction between reactive hydroxyl groups chemically attached to said metal or metalloid atoms and reactive groups on molecules of said bi-functional coupling agent, and said bi-functional chemical coupling agent and said film forming binder being chemically bonded to each other by a chemical reaction between organo functional reactive groups on molecules of said bi-functional chemical coupling agent and reactive groups on molecules of said film forming binder, forming an electrostatic latent image on said imaging surface, forming a toner image on said imaging surface in conformance with said electrostatic latent image and transferring said toner image to a receiving member.