Electrophotographic photoconductor, image forming apparatus, and process cartridge

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an electrophotographic photoconductor;
• a charging unit configured to charge a surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor;
• an exposing unit configured to expose the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoconductor to light to form a latent electrostatic image;
• a developing unit configured to develop the latent electrostatic image with a toner to form a visible image;
• a transfer unit configured to transfer the visible image onto a recording medium;
• and
• a fixing unit configured to fix the transferred visible image on the recording medium,
• wherein the electrophotographic photoconductor comprises:
• an electrically conductive substrate;
• and
• at least a photoconductive layer on the electrically conductive substrate,
• wherein the electrophotographic photoconductor comprises an uppermost surface layer, and the uppermost surface layer comprises an inorganic filler, an acidic disperser and a three-dimensionally crosslinked polymer,
• wherein the three-dimensionally crosslinked polymer is formed through polymerization among compounds each containing a charge transporting compound and three or more [(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy]methyl groups where the charge transporting compound has one or more aromatic rings and the [(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy]methyl groups are bound to the aromatic rings of the charge transporting compound, and
• wherein the polymerization proceeds after some of the [(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy]methyl groups have been partially cleaved and eliminated with an acid catalyst.

A process cartridge comprising:

• an electrophotographic photoconductor;
• and
• at least one unit selected from the group consisting of a charging unit, an exposing unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit and a charge-eliminating unit,
• wherein the process cartridge is detachably mounted to a main body of an image forming apparatus, and
• wherein the electrophotographic photoconductor comprises:
• an electrically conductive substrate;
• and
• at least a photoconductive layer on the electrically conductive substrate,
• wherein the electrophotographic photoconductor comprises an uppermost surface layer, and the uppermost surface layer comprises an inorganic filler, an acidic disperser and a three-dimensionally crosslinked polymer,
• wherein the three-dimensionally crosslinked polymer is formed through polymerization among compounds each containing a charge transporting compound and three or more [(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy]methyl groups where the charge transporting compound has one or more aromatic rings and the [(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy]methyl groups are bound to the aromatic rings of the charge transporting compound, and
• wherein the polymerization proceeds after some of the [(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy]methyl groups have been partially cleaved and eliminated with an acid catalyst.