Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge, and electrophotographic apparatus

An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising:

• a support;
• an electron transporting layer formed on the support;
• and
• a photosensitive layer formed on the electron transporting layer,
• wherein the electron transporting layer comprises a polymerized product of a composition comprising:
• an electron transporting substance having a polymerizable functional group and having a molecular weight of 1,000 or less;
• a crosslinking agent having a molecular weight of 1,000 or less;
• and
• a thermoplastic resin having a structural unit represented by the following formula (D),
• in the formula (D), R61 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, Y1 represents a single bond, an alkylene group or a phenylene group, and W1 represents a hydroxy group, a thiol group, an amino group, a carboxyl group or a methoxy group,
• wherein
• the crosslinking agent is an isocyanate compound or an amine compound, and
• the electron transporting substance is a compound represented by one of the following formulae (A1) to (A9):
• in the formulae (A1) to (A9),
• R101 to R106, R201 to R210, R301 to R308, R401 to R408, R501 to R510, R601 to R606, R701 to R708, R801 to R810 and R901 to R908 each independently represent a monovalent group represented by the following formula (A), a hydrogen atom, a cyano group, a nitro group, a halogen atom, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocycle,
• one of carbon atoms in the main chain of the alkyl group may be replaced by O, S, NH or NR1001 (R1001 is an alkyl group),
• the substituent of the substituted alkyl group is an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, or a halogen atom,
• the substituents of the substituted aryl group or the substituted heterocyclic group are a halogen atom, a nitro group, a cyano group, an alkyl group and a halogen-substituted alkyl group,
• Z201, Z301, Z401 and Z501 each independently represent a carbon atom, a nitrogen atom or an oxygen atom, where Z201 is an oxygen atom, R209 and R210 are not present, where Z201 is a nitrogen atom, R210 is not present, Z301 is an oxygen atom, R307 and R308 are not present, where Z301 is a nitrogen atom, R308 is not present, where Z401 is an oxygen atom, R407 and R408 are not present, where Z401 is a nitrogen atom, R408 is not present, where Z501 is an oxygen atom, R509 and R510 are not present, where Z501 is a nitrogen atom, R510 is not present,
• αlβmγ (A)
• in the formula (A),
• at least one of α, β and γ is a group having a substituent, and the substituent is at least one group selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy group, a thiol group, an amino group, a carboxyl group and a methoxy group,
• l and m are each independently 0 or 1, and the sum of 1 and m is 0 to 2,
• α represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 atoms in the main chain, an alkylene group having 1 to 6 atoms in the main chain and being substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkylene group having 1 to 6 atoms in the main chain and being substituted with a benzyl group, an alkylene group having 1 to 6 atoms in the main chain and being substituted with an alkoxycarbonyl group, or an alkylene group having 1 to 6 atoms in the main chain and being substituted with a phenyl group, and these groups may have at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy group, a thiol group, an amino group, a carboxyl group and a methoxy group, one of carbon atoms in the main chain of the alkylene group may be replaced by O, S, NH or NR19 (R19 is an alkyl group),
• β represents a phenylene group, a phenylene group substituted with an alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a nitro-substituted phenylene group, a halogen-substituted phenylene group or an alkoxy group-substituted phenylene group, and these groups may have at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy group, a thiol group, an amino group, a carboxyl group and a methoxy group,
• γ represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 atoms in the main chain, or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 atoms in the main chain and being substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and these groups may have at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy group, a thiol group, an amino group, a carboxyl group and a methoxy group, one of carbon atoms in the main chain of the alkyl group may be replaced by O, S, NH or NR1003 (R1003 is an alkyl group), and
• wherein the electron transporting layer comprises carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms;
• and
• the electron transporting layer satisfies the following expressions (1) to (3):
• σ(C)≦1.5 (1),
• σ(N)≦1.5 (2), and
• σ(O)≦1.5 (3),
• where, in the expressions (1) to (3),
• σ(C) represents a standard deviation of 10 values of a ratio (atomic %) of the number of carbon atoms based on the number of all atoms except hydrogen atoms in the electron transporting layer, the 10 values being obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) at 10 points;
• σ(N) represents a standard deviation of 10 values of a ratio (atomic %) of the number of nitrogen atoms based on the number of all atoms except hydrogen atoms in the electron transporting layer, the 10 values being obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) at 10 points;
• and
• σ(O) represents a standard deviation of 10 values of a ratio (atomic %) of the number of oxygen atoms based on the number of all atoms except hydrogen atoms in the electron transporting layer, the 10 values being obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) at 10 points,
• the 10 points consisting of an upper end point and a lower end point of the electron transporting layer, and 8 points dividing the electron transporting layer equally into 9 parts in the depth direction.