Polycarbonate copolymer, method for producing the same, molded body, optical material, and electrophotographic photosensitive body

A polycarbonate copolymer produced by polymerization conducted in a biphasic solvent under the presence of a phase transfer catalyst, the biphasic solvent comprising:

• a solvent in which 5 mass % or more of a finally-obtained polycarbonate copolymer is soluble, the solvent being substantially non-miscible with water;
• and an aqueous solution in which alkaline metal hydroxide or alkaline earth metal hydroxide is dissolved, the polycarbonate copolymer comprising:
• 0.1 to 50 mol % of a monomer unit represented by a formula (1) as follows;
• and
• a monomer unit represented by a formula (2) as follows, wherein
• YI of the polycarbonate copolymer is 3 or less, the YI being produced by measuring flake powder based on JIS K 7105,
• where R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms,
• where:
• R3 and R4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms or a halogen atom;
• and X represents any one of bonding groups represented by —O—, —S—, —SO—, —SO2—, —CO—, 9,9-fluorenylidene group and formulae (2a), (2b) (2c) and (2d) as follows,
• where R5 and R6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, R5 and R6 being allowed to be bonded together to form a cycloalkylidene group having 4 to 12 carbon atoms,
• where R represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, at least one of R representing an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms,
• where a bonding position is allowed to be any one of o-, m- and p-, and
• where R7 to R12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a single bonding or a bonding group formed of an alkylene group, on condition that two of R7 to R12 each represent a bonding group while the rest of R7 to R12 each represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

A method of manufacturing a polycarbonate copolymer, comprising:

• conducting polycondensation with use of a monomer represented by a formula (3) as follows and a monomer represented by a formula (4) as follows;
• and
• adding 0.0001 to 1 mol equivalent of an antioxidant to a reaction system per 1 mol of the monomer represented by the formula (3),
• where R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms or a halogen atom,
• where:
• R3 and R4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms or a halogen atom;
• and X represents any one of bonding groups represented by —O—, —S—, —SO—, —SO2—, —CO—, 9,9-fluorenylidene group and formulae (2a), (2b) (2c) and (2d) as follows,
• where R5 and R6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms, R5 and R6 being allowed to be bonded together to form a cycloalkylidene group having 4 to 12 carbon atoms,
• where R represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, at least one of R representing an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms,
• where a bonding position is allowed to be any one of o-, m- and p-, and
• where R7 to R12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a single bonding or a bonding group formed of an alkylene group, on condition that two of R7 to R12 each represent a bonding group while the rest of R7 to R12 each represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.