Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus

A process cartridge, comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive member and at least one means selected from the group consisting of charging means, developing means and cleaning means;
• said electrophotographic photosensitive member and said at least one means being integrally supported to form a unit which is detachably mountable to a main assembly of electrophotographic apparatus;
• wherein said electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a support, and a photosensitive layer disposed on the support;
• said photosensitive layer containing an azo pigment having an organic group represented by formula (1) below:
• ##STR28## wherein X.sub.1 is a group bonded to the benzene ring in the formula (1) to form a substituted or unsubstituted condensed hydrocarbon ring or substituted or unsubstituted condensed heterocyclic ring;
• each B independently denotes a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, nitro group, cyano group, carboxyl group, alkoxycarbonyl group, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or substituted aralkyl group, or substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group;
• R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, or a group forming a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic amino group by a combination of the groups R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together with the nitrogen (N) atom in the formula (1);
• Z.sub.1 denotes an oxygen atom or sulfur atom;
• k.sub.1 is 0 or 1;
• A denotes a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene group, --R.sub.3 --CO-- or --(CONH.paren close-st..sub.k2 ;
• R.sub.3 denotes a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group;
• and k.sub.2 is 0 or 1 with the proviso that k.sub.1 and k.sub.2 cannot be 0 simultaneously.

An electrophotographic apparatus, comprising:

• an electrophotographic photosensitive member, charging means, exposure means, developing means, and transfer means;
• wherein said electrophotographic photosensitive member comprises a support, and a photosensitive layer disposed on the support;
• said photosensitive layer containing an azo pigment having an organic group represented by formula (1) below:
• ##STR29## wherein X.sub.1 is a group bonded to the benzene ring in the formula (1) to form a substituted or unsubstituted condensed hydrocarbon ring or substituted or unsubstituted condensed heterocyclic ring;
• each B independently denotes a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, nitro group, cyano group, carboxyl group, alkoxycarbonyl group, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, or substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group;
• R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently denote a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, or a group forming a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic amino group by a combination of the groups R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together with the nitrogen (N) atom in the formula (1);
• Z.sub.1 denotes an oxygen atom or sulfur atom;
• k.sub.1 is 0 or 1;
• A denotes a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene group, --R.sub.3 --CO-- or --(CONH.paren close-st..sub.k2 ;
• R.sub.3 denotes a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group;
• and k.sub.2 is 0 or 1 with the proviso that k.sub.1 and k.sub.2 cannot be 0 simultaneously.