Toner, method for producing the same, image formation method and image formation apparatus

A toner, characterized in that the toner comprises at least a graft copolymer and a coloring material,

• wherein the graft copolymer is formed by suspension polymerization or emulsion polymerization of a styrenic, methacrylic or acrylic monomer with an amphiphilic block copolymer having a hydrophilic block segment having a repeating unit structure represented by General Formula (1) shown below and a hydrophobic block segment having a repeating unit structure represented by general formula (2) shown below and a repeating unit structure represented by General Formula (3) shown below and has a structure in which a polymer produced by polymerization of styrenic, methacrylic or acrylic monomer is grafted to the side chain of the block copolymer;
• wherein the polymerizable functional group that the block copolymer has on the side chain is in a content of 0.0001 to 50 mol % with respect to the entire block copolymer;
• and
• wherein the styrenic, methacrylic or acrylic monomer that is graft polymerized to the block copolymer is in an amount of 0.1% by weight to 95% by weight in the toner;
• General Formula (1)
• wherein R0 represents —X—(COO-M)r or —X—SO3-M. X represents a linear, branched, or cyclic alkylene group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or —(CH(R5)—CH(R6)—O)p—(CH2)m—CH3-r— or —(CH2)m—(O)n—(CH2)q—CH3-r—, or a structure in which at least one methylene group thereof is substituted by a carbonyl group, oxygen atom or aromatic ring structure;
• r represents 1 or 2;
• p represents an integer from 1 to 18;
• m represents an integer from 0 to 35;
• n represents 1 or 0;
• q represents an integer from 0 to 17;
• M represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent or multivalent cation;
• and R5 and R6 represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and R5 and R6 may be the same or different from each other,
• General Formula (2)
• wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, -Ph, -Pyr, —(CH(R5)—CH(R6)—O)p—R7 and —(CH2)m—(O)n—R7, where a hydrogen atom in an aromatic ring may be substituted by a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and a carbon atom in an aromatic ring may be substituted by a nitrogen atom;
• p is an integer from 1 to 18;
• m is an integer from 1 to 36 and n is 0 or 1;
• R5 and R6 are each independently a hydrogen atom or —CH3;
• R7 comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, -Ph, -Pyr, —CHO, —CH2CHO, —CO—CH═CH2, —CO—C(CH3)═CH2 and —CH2COOR8, provided that when R7 is other than a hydrogen atom, a hydrogen atom binding to a carbon atom in R7 can be substituted by a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, —F, —Cl, or —Br, and a carbon atom in each aromatic ring can be substituted by a nitrogen atom;
• R8 is a hydrogen atom and an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• Ph represents a phenyl group and Pyr represents a pyridyl group,
• General Formula (3)
• wherein —OR2 is selected from the group consisting of the following formulas:
• —OCH2CH2OCOCH═CH2,
• —OCH2CH2OCOC (CH3)═CH2,
• —OCH2CH2OCH2CH2OCOCH═CH2, or
• —OCH2CH2OCH2CH2OCOC (CH3)═CH2.