Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge, electrophotographic apparatus, and imide compound

An electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising in the following order:

• a support member;
• an undercoat layer adjacent to the support member;
• and
• a photosensitive layer adjacent to the undercoat layer,
• wherein the undercoat layer contains a polymer produced by polymerizing a composition containing a crosslinking agent and the compound expressed by general formula (1):
• wherein R1 represents one selected from the group consisting of formula (2) and formula (3):
• wherein R101 represents one selected from the group consisting of O, S, SO2, NR104 where R104 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atom, alkyl group and aryl group, carbonyl group, alkylene group, and arylene group, and the alkylene group and the arylene group each may have a substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl group having a carbon number in the range of 1 to 5, phenyl group, and halogen atoms, and wherein R102 and R103 each represent one selected from the group consisting of alkyl group having a carbon number in the range of 1 to 3, alkoxy group, alkoxycarbonyl group, cyano group, nitro group, and halogen atoms, and m being the number of R102 and n being the number of R103 each represent an integer of 0 to 4 and may be the same as or different from each other;
• wherein R201 represent one selected from the group consisting of O, S, SO2, NR204 where R204 is selected from hydrogen atom, alkyl group and aryl group, carbonyl group, alkylene group, and arylene group, and the alkylene group and the arylene group each may have a substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl group having a carbon number in the range of 1 to 5, phenyl group, and halogen atoms, and wherein R202 and R203 each represent one selected from the group consisting of alkyl group having a carbon number of 1 or 2, alkoxy group, alkoxycarbonyl group, and halogen atoms, and s being the number of R202 and p being the number of R203 each represent an integer of 1 to 4 and may be the same as or different from each other,
• wherein R2 and R3 each independently represent one selected from the group consisting of alkyl group, aryl group, and alkyl-derived groups having a main chain in which one of the carbon atoms is replaced with a species selected from the group consisting of O, S, and NR13 where R13 is selected from hydrogen atom and alkyl group, and
• R2 and R3 has a polymerizable functional group selected from the group consisting of hydroxy group, thiol group, amino group and carboxy group, and
• wherein R4 to R11 each independently represent one selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atom, halogen atoms, cyano group, nitro group, alkyl group, and aryl group, and
• the alkyl group and the aryl group each may have a substituent selected from the group consisting of alky group, acyl group, alkoxy group, alkoxycarbonyl group, cyano group, nitro group, and halogen atoms.