JP2008224734A - Electrophotographic photoreceptor and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrophotographic photoreceptor which is excellent in electric characteristics and can effectively suppress the cracking and the occurrence of a black point due to the cracking. <P>SOLUTION: This invention relates to the electrophotographic photoreceptor with a photosensitive layer containing a hole transporting agent, a charge generation agent and a binder resin, formed on a base, and an image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic photoreceptor, wherein a hydrazone compound expressed by the general formula (1) is used as the hole transporting agent, and the photosensitive layer contains a compound having a specified structure, as an additive. In the general formula (1), R<SP>1</SP>to R<SP>4</SP>represent hydrogen atom, alkyl group having the number of substituted or non-substituted carbon of 1 to 20, and the like respectively independently, Ar<SP>1</SP>represents allyl group having the number of substituted or non-substituted carbon of 6 to 30 or the like, and repetition number n is 0 or 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor and an image forming apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member that has excellent electrical characteristics and can effectively suppress the generation of cracks and black spots caused by the crack, and an image forming apparatus equipped with such an electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Conventionally, as an electrophotographic photoreceptor used in an image forming apparatus or the like, an organic photoreceptor (OPC) composed of a binder resin, a charge generating agent, a charge transporting agent (a hole transporting agent, an electron transporting agent) and the like has been used. Yes. Such an organic photoreceptor is advantageous in that it is easy to manufacture and has a wide degree of freedom in structural design because it has various options for the photoreceptor material as compared with conventional inorganic photoreceptors.
On the other hand, the charge transport agent used in such an organic photoreceptor needs to have an excellent charge transfer rate so as to impart predetermined electrical characteristics to the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

  Therefore, a hydrazone compound represented by the following general formula (21) is disclosed as a hole transport agent having an excellent charge transfer rate (for example, Patent Document 1).

(In the general formula (21), R ⁸ and R ⁹ represents an aryl group which may be substituted, R ⁸ and R ⁹ may be bonded directly or through a linking group, R ¹⁰ is a hydrogen atom, a halogen An atom, an alkyl group or an optionally substituted phenyl group, R ¹¹ and R ¹² are an alkyl group, an aralkyl group or an optionally substituted aryl group, and at least one of them is an optionally substituted aryl group .)

JP-A-3-48254 (Claims)

However, although the hole transfer agent of Patent Document 1 has an excellent charge transfer speed, it has a very high crystallinity, and it is difficult to form a photosensitive layer having an excellent electrical property. . In addition, there were also problems that the photosensitive layer was easily peeled from the substrate and cracks were likely to occur.
In particular, when oil components such as sebum derived from a human hand or grease of a driving roller adhere to the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, there is a problem that cracks are likely to occur from the adhesion point. It was. And in the formed image, the problem that it becomes easy to generate | occur | produce a black spot resulting from this crack was seen.
Accordingly, there has been a demand for an electrophotographic photosensitive member that has excellent electrical characteristics and can effectively suppress the occurrence of cracks and black spots caused by the cracks.

Therefore, as a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have used such a hydrazone compound having a specific structure having an excellent hole transfer rate as a hole transport agent and using such a compound having a specific structure as an additive. It has been found that the crystallinity of the hole transport agent can be reduced to effectively improve the electrical characteristics of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, and the oil resistance of the photosensitive layer can be improved to effectively suppress the occurrence of cracks. The present invention has been completed.
That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photoreceptor capable of effectively suppressing the occurrence of cracks and black spots due to the excellent electrical characteristics, and image formation equipped with such an electrophotographic photoreceptor. To provide an apparatus.

  According to the present invention, there is provided an electrophotographic photosensitive member provided with a photosensitive layer containing a hole transport agent, a charge generator and a binder resin on a substrate, wherein the hole transport agent is represented by the following general formula (1). In addition to the hydrazone compound represented, an electrophotographic photoreceptor characterized in that the photosensitive layer contains a compound represented by the following general formula (2) as an additive is provided to solve the above-described problems. be able to.

(In the general formula (1), R ^{1 to} R ⁴ are each independently a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms. Group, substituted or unsubstituted phenoxy group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms (C ₆ H ₅ O—), substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, Ar ¹ is substituted or unsubstituted carbon number 6 An aryl group of ˜30, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group having 3 to 30 carbon atoms, and the repeating number n is 0 or 1.)

(In General Formula (2), R ^{5 to} R ⁷ are each independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted carbon number 6 to 30 aryl groups, substituted or unsubstituted benzyl groups having 7 to 30 carbon atoms, and substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.)

That is, if it is a hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1), it has an excellent hole transfer rate and sufficiently lowers its crystallinity as compared with conventionally used hydrazone compounds. Therefore, the electric characteristics of the electrophotographic photosensitive member can be effectively improved.
On the other hand, although the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) has been able to relatively reduce its crystallinity, when the oil component adheres to the surface of the photosensitive layer, the crystallinity is reduced. There is a tendency that cracks are likely to occur.
In that respect, in the present invention, since the photosensitive layer contains the compound represented by the general formula (2) as an additive, even in such a case, the occurrence of cracks is effectively suppressed, Generation of black spots due to such cracks can also be effectively suppressed.

  In constituting the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention, the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is preferably a compound represented by the following general formula (3).

(In General Formula (3), Ar ¹ is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group having 3 to 30 carbon atoms, and the repeating number n is 0 or 1. .)

  By comprising in this way, the crystallinity of the hole transport agent which has a specific structure can further be reduced, and the hole moving speed can be further improved.

  In constituting the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention, the compound represented by the general formula (2) is preferably a compound represented by any one of the following formulas (4) to (6).

  By comprising in this way, even if it is a case where an oil component adheres with respect to the photosensitive layer surface, generation | occurrence | production of a crack can be suppressed more effectively.

In constituting the electrophotographic photosensitive member of the present invention, the photosensitive layer is a single-layer type photosensitive layer, and the content of the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is determined in the binding in the single-layer type photosensitive layer. It is preferable to set the value within a range of 10 to 100 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the resin.
By comprising in this way, the dispersibility in a single layer type photosensitive layer can be improved, making charge transport between the hole transporting agents which have a specific structure more efficient.
Therefore, the electrical characteristics can be further improved and the generation of cracks can be further effectively suppressed.

In constituting the electrophotographic photosensitive member of the present invention, the content of the compound represented by the general formula (2) is 1 to 50 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the single-layer type photosensitive layer. A value within the range is preferable.
With such a configuration, the mechanical strength of the single-layer type photosensitive layer can be maintained while sufficiently suppressing the occurrence of cracks.

Further, in constituting the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention, the photosensitive layer is a multilayer photosensitive layer, and the content of the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is changed to charge transport contained in the multilayer photosensitive layer. The value is preferably in the range of 10 to 500 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the layer.
By comprising in this way, the dispersibility in a charge transport layer can be improved, making charge transport between the hole transport agents which have a specific structure more efficient.
Therefore, the electrical characteristics can be further improved and the generation of cracks can be further effectively suppressed.

In constituting the electrophotographic photosensitive member of the present invention, the content of the compound represented by the general formula (2) is set to 1 with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the charge transport layer included in the multilayer photosensitive layer. A value within the range of ˜100 parts by weight is preferable.
By comprising in this way, the mechanical strength of a charge transport layer can be hold | maintained, fully suppressing generation | occurrence | production of a crack.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including any one of the above-described electrophotographic photosensitive members, wherein at least a charging unit, a developing unit, and a transfer unit are disposed around the electrophotographic photosensitive member. And an image forming apparatus in which any of the means is disposed in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
That is, the generation of cracks tends to be promoted by applying a mechanical external force to the photosensitive layer. On the other hand, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, even if the charging unit or the like is arranged in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member and mechanical external force is applied to the photosensitive layer, cracks are effectively prevented. Occurrence can be suppressed.
Furthermore, since the mounted electrophotographic photosensitive member has excellent electrical characteristics, it is possible to efficiently form a high-quality image in which the generation of black spots is suppressed.

[First Embodiment]
The first embodiment is an electrophotographic photoreceptor in which a photosensitive layer containing a hole transport agent, a charge generating agent, and a binder resin is provided on a substrate, and the hole transport agent is represented by the general formula (1). In addition to the hydrazone compound represented, the photosensitive layer contains a compound represented by the general formula (2) as an additive.
Hereinafter, the electrophotographic photosensitive member as the first embodiment will be specifically described mainly using a single-layer type electrophotographic photosensitive member as an example.

1. Basic Configuration As shown in FIG. 1A, the single-layer type photoreceptor 10 has a single photosensitive layer 14 provided on a substrate 12.
In addition, the photosensitive layer includes a hole transport agent having a specific structure, an additive having a specific structure, a charge generating agent, and a binder resin, and if necessary, an electron transport agent, Additives such as leveling agents or silyl group-containing compounds can be included.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, a single-layer type photoreceptor 10 ′ in which a barrier layer 16 is formed between the substrate 12 and the photosensitive layer 14 within a range that does not impair the characteristics of the photoreceptor.
In addition, the charge transport efficiency between the charge generating agent and the hole transport agent can be further improved by further including an electron transport agent as the charge transport agent.

In addition, various materials having conductivity can be used as the substrate, for example, iron, aluminum, copper, tin, platinum, silver, vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, cadmium, titanium, nickel, palladium, indium, stainless steel. Plastics in which conductive fine particles such as steel, brass, etc., plastic materials deposited or laminated with the above metals, glass coated with aluminum iodide, tin oxide, indium oxide, etc., or carbon black are dispersed. Materials and the like.
Further, the shape of the substrate may be any of a sheet shape, a drum shape, or the like according to the structure of the image forming apparatus to be used. The substrate itself has conductivity, or the surface of the substrate has conductivity. If you do.

2. Photosensitive layer (1) Hole transport agent (1) -1 type In the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention, the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is used as the hole transport agent. To do.
This is because the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) has an excellent hole transfer rate and is conventionally used, for example, the hydrazone compound represented by the following formula (12). This is because the crystallinity of the electrophotographic photosensitive member can be effectively improved since the crystallinity can be sufficiently reduced as compared with the hydrazone compound.
That is, the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) has an excellent hole transfer rate by limiting the number of aryl groups at the end of the ethylene or butadiene structure described in the left part thereof to one. This is because the crystallinity can be sufficiently lowered while maintaining the.
On the other hand, although the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) has been able to relatively reduce its crystallinity, when the oil component adheres to the surface of the photosensitive layer, the crystallinity is reduced. There is a tendency that cracks are likely to occur.
In that respect, in the present invention, since the photosensitive layer contains the compound represented by the general formula (2) as an additive, even in such a case, the occurrence of cracks is effectively suppressed, Generation of black spots due to such cracks can also be effectively suppressed.
In addition, generation | occurrence | production and suppression of a crack are demonstrated in detail in the term of an additive later.

Moreover, it is preferable that the hydrazone compound represented by General formula (1) is a compound represented by General formula (3).
This is because the crystallinity can be further reduced by limiting the structure of the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) in this way, and the hole transfer rate can be further improved. It is because it can do.
That is, as shown in the general formula (3), the constituent part containing the ethylene or butadiene structure described in the left part of the hydrazone compound and the constituent part containing the hydrazone structure described in the right part are respectively in the central part. This is because the planarity and symmetry of the molecule are in a suitable state and the crystallinity can be further lowered by being located in the para position of the phenyl group in diphenylamine described in 1.
Further, the spread of the electron cloud is in a suitable state, and the hole transfer speed can be further improved.
Further, by making the hydrogen atom of R ¹ to R ⁴ in the general formula (1), it is because it is possible to further improve the effect described above.

(1) -2 Specific Example In addition, specific examples of the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) include compounds (HTM-1 to 5) represented by the following formulas (7) to (11). Can do.
These compounds all correspond to the compound represented by the general formula (3).

(1) -3 Content The content of the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is set to a value within the range of 10 to 100 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the photosensitive layer. Is preferred.
This is because the content of the hole transport agent having a specific structure is set to a value within such a range, thereby making charge transport between those hole transport agents more efficient and in the photosensitive layer. This is because the dispersibility can be improved.
Therefore, the electrical characteristics can be further improved and the generation of cracks can be more effectively suppressed.
That is, when the content of the hole transporting agent having a specific structure is less than 10 parts by weight, the sensitivity is lowered, which may cause a practical problem. On the other hand, when the content of the hole transporting agent having a specific structure exceeds 100 parts by weight, the hole transporting agent tends to be excessively crystallized, and the electrical characteristics of the electrophotographic photoreceptor may be reduced. This is because it may be difficult to suppress the occurrence of cracks.
Therefore, the content of the hole transport agent having a specific structure is more preferably set to a value within the range of 20 to 90 parts by weight, and further preferably set to a value within the range of 30 to 80 parts by weight.

Next, the difference in electrical characteristics of the electrophotographic photoreceptor when using the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) and the conventional hydrazone compound will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2 shows a characteristic curve in which the horizontal axis represents the content (parts by weight) of the hydrazone compound relative to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin, and the vertical axis represents the light potential (V) in the electrophotographic photosensitive member. is there.
Here, the characteristic curve A uses the hydrazone compound (HTM-1) represented by the formula (7) as the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1), and the marker B represents the following formula ( It is a marker when the hydrazone compound (HTM-6) represented by 12) is used.
The photosensitive layer contained 20 parts by weight of the compound (P-2) represented by formula (5) as an additive with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin. Further, the detailed configuration of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the method for measuring the bright potential, and the like were in accordance with Examples described later.
Further, the smaller the value of the bright potential, the better the sensitivity characteristic in the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

First, as understood from the characteristic curve A, when the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is used as the hole transport agent, the light potential at the time when the content is 30 parts by weight. The value is a low value of around 140V and has excellent sensitivity characteristics. It can also be seen that even when the content is increased to 60 parts by weight and 90 parts by weight, the value of the bright potential can be lowered to a lower value without causing crystallization.
On the other hand, as understood from the marker B, when a conventional hydrazone compound other than the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is used as the hole transport agent, the content is 30 parts by weight. The value of the bright potential at is a high value of 160 V or more, and the sensitivity characteristics are insufficient. Furthermore, when the content exceeded 30 parts by weight, crystals were precipitated in the photosensitive layer and on the surface of the photosensitive layer, and the bright potential could not be measured.
Thus, hydrazone compounds other than the hydrazone compound having a specific structure used in the present invention have very high crystallinity, and it is difficult to increase the content thereof, and the hole transport ability is insufficient. It can be seen that it is. In this regard, it can be seen that the hydrazone compound having a specific structure used in the present invention has improved the disadvantages of the conventional hydrazone compound.

(2) Electron Transfer Agent (2) -1 Type As the electron transfer agent used in the present invention, a conventionally known electron transfer agent can be used.
For example, in addition to diphenoquinone derivatives, pyrene derivatives, benzoquinone derivatives, anthraquinone derivatives, malononitrile derivatives, thiopyran derivatives, trinitrothioxanthone derivatives, 3,4,5,7-tetranitro-9-fluorenone derivatives, dinitroanthracene derivatives, dinitroacridine derivatives, Nitroanthraquinone derivatives, dinitroanthraquinone derivatives, tetracyanoethylene, 2,4,8-trinitrothioxanthone, dinitrobenzene, dinitroanthracene, dinitroacridine, nitroanthraquinone, dinitroanthraquinone, succinic anhydride, maleic anhydride, dibromomaleic anhydride, etc. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

(2) -2 Specific Examples Specific examples of these electron transfer agents include compounds (ETM-1 to ETM-3) represented by the following formulas (13) to (15).

(2) -3 Content The content of the electron transport agent is preferably set to a value within the range of 10 to 100 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin.
This is because when the amount of the electron transport agent added is less than 10 parts by weight, the sensitivity is lowered and a practical problem may occur. On the other hand, when the addition amount of the electron transport agent exceeds 100 parts by weight, the electron transport agent is easily crystallized, and an appropriate film as a photosensitive layer may not be formed.
Therefore, it is more preferable to set the addition amount of the electron transfer agent to a value within the range of 20 to 80 parts by weight.

In addition, when determining the addition amount of an electron transport agent, it is preferable to consider the addition amount of a hole transport agent. More specifically, the addition ratio (total ETM / total HTM) of the electron transport agent (total ETM) is a value within the range of 0.25 to 1.3 with respect to the hole transport agent (total HTM). It is preferable to do.
This is because if the ratio of all ETMs / all HTMs is outside this range, the sensitivity is lowered, which may cause practical problems.
Therefore, it is more preferable that the ratio of the total ETM / total HTM is set to a value within the range of 0.5 to 1.25.

(3) Charge Generator (3) -1 Type As the charge generator used in the electrophotographic photosensitive member of the present invention, a conventionally known charge generator can be used.
For example, phthalocyanine pigments, perylene pigments, bisazo pigments, diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments, metal-free naphthalocyanine pigments, metal naphthalocyanine pigments, squaraine pigments, trisazo pigments, indigo pigments, azurenium pigments, cyanine pigments, pyranium pigments, ansan Organic photoconductors such as throne pigments, triphenylmethane pigments, selenium pigments, toluidine pigments, pyrazoline pigments, quinacridone pigments, and inorganic photoconductors such as selenium, selenium-tellurium, selenium-arsenic, cadmium sulfide, and amorphous silicon Or a mixture of two or more of them.

(3) -2 Specific Example Further, among these charge generators, it is more preferable to use phthalocyanine pigments (CGM-A to D) represented by the following formulas (16) to (19). preferable.

(3) -3 Content Further, the content of the charge generating agent is preferably set to a value within the range of 0.2 to 40 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin.
The reason for this is that when the content of the charge generating agent is less than 0.2 parts by weight, the effect of increasing the quantum yield becomes insufficient, and the sensitivity characteristics, electrical characteristics, stability, etc. of the electrophotographic photoreceptor are improved. It is because it becomes impossible. On the other hand, when the content of the charge generating agent exceeds 40 parts by weight, the effect of increasing the extinction coefficient for light having a wavelength in the red region, near infrared region, or infrared region in visible light becomes insufficient. This is because the sensitivity characteristics, electrical characteristics, stability, and the like of the photoconductor may not be improved.
Therefore, the content of the charge generating agent is more preferably set to a value within the range of 0.5 to 20 parts by weight.

(4) Additive (4) -1 Type The photosensitive layer contains a compound represented by the general formula (2) as an additive.
The reason for this is that although the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) described above was able to relatively reduce its crystallinity, an oil component adhered to the surface of the photosensitive layer, There is a tendency that cracks are likely to occur due to the crystallinity. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of crack generation, it is necessary to contain the compound represented by the general formula (2) as an additive.
That is, the crack generation mechanism is such that, first, an oil component adheres to the surface of the photosensitive layer, whereby a monomer component in the photosensitive layer, particularly a charge transport agent composed of a hole transport agent and an electron transport agent, is contained in the oil component. Begin to elute.
Next, it is considered that a hole is formed in the binder resin of the photosensitive layer at the trace of the elution of the charge transfer agent, and a local stress is generated in the vicinity of the hole to generate a crack. In other words, the occurrence of cracks can be regarded as a combination of two phenomena: a phenomenon of monomer component elution and a phenomenon of stress generation near the vacancies.
When capturing the crack generation mechanism in this way, it is effective by taking predetermined measures for at least one of the elution of the monomer component as the first stage and the stress generation near the void as the second stage. In particular, crack resistance can be obtained.
In the case of the present invention, the binder resin in the photosensitive layer can be plasticized by containing an additive having a specific structure. Therefore, it can be understood that the generation of stress in the vicinity of the pores as the second stage is effectively prevented and the generation of cracks is suppressed.
The reason why the crystallinity of the monomer component such as a hole transfer agent affects the occurrence of cracks is that when the monomer component has high crystallinity, the dispersibility in the photosensitive layer decreases, This is considered to be because the scale of the pores generated when the monomer component elutes easily expands.

Moreover, it is preferable that the compound represented by General formula (2) is a compound represented by either of Formula (4)-(6).
This is because these compounds can more effectively suppress the occurrence of cracks even when the oil component adheres to the surface of the photosensitive layer.
That is, these compounds are excellent in compatibility with the binder resin described later, and therefore the entire photosensitive layer can be uniformly plasticized without causing phase separation.

(4) -2 Content Further, the content of the compound represented by the general formula (2) may be set to a value within the range of 1 to 50 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the photosensitive layer. preferable.
This is because the mechanical strength of the photosensitive layer can be maintained while sufficiently suppressing the occurrence of cracks by setting the content of the additive having a specific structure within the above range. .
That is, when the content of the additive having a specific structure is less than 1 part by weight, the stress relaxation action by plasticizing the photosensitive layer cannot be sufficiently exhibited, and the generation of cracks is effective. This is because it may be difficult to suppress it. On the other hand, when the content of the additive having a specific structure exceeds 50 parts by weight, the glass transition point of the photosensitive layer is excessively lowered, making it difficult to maintain sufficient mechanical strength. Because there is.
Therefore, the content of the additive having a specific structure is more preferably set to a value in the range of 5 to 45 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin of the photosensitive layer, and in the range of 10 to 40 parts by weight. More preferably, the value is within the range.

Next, the relationship between the content of the additive having a specific structure and the occurrence of cracks in the electrophotographic photoreceptor will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis represents the content (parts by weight) of an additive having a specific structure with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin, and the vertical axis represents the number of cracks occurring on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member (locations). A characteristic curve is shown.
Here, the characteristic curve A is a hydrazone compound (HTM-1) represented by the formula (7), which is a hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1), and the characteristic curve B is a conventional hole transport agent. The hydrazone compound (HTM-6) represented by the formula (12) which is a hydrazone compound of the following, and the characteristic curve C is a compound (HTM-7) represented by the following formula (20) which is an amine compound, It is a characteristic curve when 60 parts by weight of each is contained.
Moreover, the compound (P-1) represented by Formula (4) was used as an additive which has a specific structure.
The detailed configuration of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the conditions for generating cracks, the counting method, and the like were in accordance with examples described later. Moreover, although demonstrated concretely in an Example, the number of crack generation | occurrence | production locations is ten places at the maximum.

First, as understood from the characteristic curve A, when the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is used as the hole transport agent, even if it does not contain an additive having a specific structure. Further, the number of cracks can be suppressed to a relatively low value of six. In addition, when the content of the additive having a specific structure is increased from 0 parts by weight to 5 parts by weight, it can be seen that the number of cracks is rapidly reduced from 6 to 1 part. . And it turns out that generation | occurrence | production of a crack can be suppressed almost completely when content of the additive which has a specific structure is further increased.
On the other hand, as understood from the characteristic curves B and C, when a compound other than the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is used as the hole transport agent, an additive having a specific structure is not included. It can be seen that the number of crack occurrences in the state is 10 and cracks are very likely to occur. Moreover, even if it is a case where content of the additive which has a specific structure is increased from 0 weight part to 5 weight part, the number of crack generation | occurrence | production places remains ten places. Furthermore, when the content of the additive having a specific structure is increased to exceed 5 parts by weight, the number of crack occurrence points starts to decrease gradually, but the content is 30 parts by weight. It can also be seen that the number of cracks can be suppressed only to 6 or more.
Thus, even when an additive having a specific structure is contained, it can be seen that there is a large difference in crack suppression effect depending on the type of hole transporting agent used. This may be due to differences in solubility of the hole transport agent used in the oil component, crystallinity, or the like.

  In addition, as other additives, as long as they do not adversely affect the electrophotographic characteristics, various conventionally known additives, for example, antioxidants, radical scavengers, singlet quenchers, deterioration inhibitors such as ultraviolet absorbers, Softeners, plasticizers, surface modifiers, extenders, thickeners, dispersion stabilizers, waxes, acceptors, donors, and the like can be blended. In order to improve the sensitivity of the photosensitive layer, a known sensitizer such as terphenyl, halonaphthoquinones, and acenaphthylene may be used in combination with the charge generator.

(5) Binder resin Examples of the binder resin include a styrene polymer, a styrene-butadiene copolymer, a styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer, a styrene-maleic acid copolymer, an acrylic polymer, and a styrene-acrylic copolymer. Polymer, polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, chlorinated polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyester, alkyd resin, polyamide, polyurethane, polycarbonate, polyarylate, polysulfone, diallyl phthalate Thermoplastic resins such as resins, ketone resins, polyvinyl butyral resins, and polyether resins, silicone resins, epoxy resins, phenol resins, urea resins, melamine resins, and other crosslinkable thermosetting resins, and epoxy-acrylates And photocurable resins such as urethane-acrylate. These binder resins can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

(6) Thickness The thickness of the photosensitive layer is preferably set to a value in the range of 5 to 100 μm.
This is because if the thickness of the photosensitive layer is less than 5 μm, it may be difficult to form the photosensitive layer uniformly or the mechanical strength may be reduced. On the other hand, when the thickness of the photosensitive layer exceeds 100 μm, the photosensitive layer may be easily peeled off from the substrate.
Accordingly, the thickness of the photosensitive layer is more preferably set to a value within the range of 10 to 50 μm, and further preferably set to a value within the range of 15 to 45 μm.

(7) Manufacturing Method The manufacturing method of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is not particularly limited, but can be carried out by the following procedure.
First, a coating solution is prepared by adding a charge generating agent, a charge transporting agent, a binder resin, an additive and the like to a solvent. The coating solution thus obtained is applied onto a conductive substrate (aluminum tube) using a coating method such as a dip coating method, a spray coating method, a bead coating method, a blade coating method, or a roller coating method. Apply.
Then, for example, it is dried with hot air at 100 ° C. for 40 minutes to obtain a single layer type electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer having a predetermined thickness.
In addition, as a solvent for making a dispersion liquid, various organic solvents can be used, for example, alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol and butanol; aliphatic hydrocarbons such as n-hexane, octane and cyclohexane; Aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, xylene, halogenated hydrocarbons such as dichloromethane, dichloroethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene; dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, 1,3-dioxolane Ethers such as 1,4-dioxane, ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and cyclohexanone; esters such as ethyl acetate and methyl acetate; dimethylformaldehyde, dimethyl Examples include tilformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide. These solvents are used alone or in admixture of two or more. At this time, in order to improve the dispersibility of the charge generating agent and the smoothness of the surface of the photosensitive layer, a surfactant, a leveling agent and the like may be further contained.

It is also preferable to form an intermediate layer on the substrate before forming this photosensitive layer.
In forming this intermediate layer, a binder resin and, if necessary, an additive (organic fine powder or inorganic fine powder) together with an appropriate dispersion medium, a known method such as a roll mill, ball mill, attritor, paint shaker, ultrasonic wave A coating solution is prepared by dispersing and mixing using a disperser or the like, and this is applied by a known means such as a blade method, a dipping method, or a spray method, and subjected to heat treatment to form an intermediate layer.
In addition, the additive is in a range where precipitation during production does not become a problem, and various additives (organic fine powder or inorganic fine powder are used for the purpose of preventing the occurrence of interference fringes by causing light scattering. ) Can be added in small amounts.
Next, the obtained coating solution is applied to a support substrate (aluminum base tube) according to a known production method, such as dip coating, spray coating, bead coating, blade coating, roller coating, etc. It can apply | coat using the apply | coating method.
Then, it is preferable to perform the process of drying the coating liquid on a base | substrate at the temperature of 20-200 degreeC for 5 minutes-2 hours.

(8) Multilayer Electrophotographic Photoreceptor In constituting the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the present invention, the photosensitive layer comprises a charge generating layer 24 containing a charge generating agent, a charge transporting agent and a binder as shown in FIG. It is also preferable that the photosensitive layer 20 is a laminated type comprising a charge transport layer 22 containing a resin.
In the multilayer electrophotographic photoreceptor 20, a charge generation layer 24 containing a charge generation agent is formed on the substrate 12 by means of vapor deposition or coating, and then a charge transport agent and a charge transport agent are formed on the charge generation layer 24. The charge transport layer 22 can be formed by applying a coating solution containing a binder resin and drying it.
Contrary to the structure described above, as shown in FIG. 4B, the charge transport layer 22 may be formed on the substrate 12, and the charge generation layer 24 may be formed thereon. However, since the charge generation layer 24 is much thinner than the charge transport layer 22, the charge transport layer 22 is protected on the charge generation layer 24 as shown in FIG. It is more preferable to form
It is also preferable to form the intermediate layer 25 on the substrate as in the case of the single layer type photoreceptor.
In addition, when such a laminated type photosensitive layer is employed, there are advantages that options for photosensitive materials such as a charge generating agent and a charge transport agent are widened, and the degree of freedom in structural design can be improved.

  In addition, the positive or negative charge type of the multilayer electrophotographic photosensitive member is selected depending on the order in which the charge generation layer and the charge transport layer are formed and the type of the charge transport agent used in the charge transport layer. For example, when a charge generation layer is provided on a substrate, a charge transport layer is provided thereon, and a hole transport agent having a specific structure is used as the charge transport agent for the charge transport layer, negatively charged electrons It becomes a photographic photoreceptor. In this case, the charge generation layer may contain an electron transport agent.

The charge generation layer forming coating solution and the charge transport layer forming coating solution are, for example, a predetermined component such as a charge generating agent, a charge transporting agent, a binder resin, a dispersion medium, a roll mill, a ball mill, an attritor, a paint. It can be prepared by dispersing and mixing using a shaker, an ultrasonic disperser or the like.
In the laminated photosensitive layer 20, the thickness of the photosensitive layer (charge generation layer and charge transport layer) is not particularly limited, but the charge generation layer is preferably set to a value in the range of 0.01 to 5 μm. More preferably, the value is in the range of 0.1 to 3 μm. On the other hand, the charge transport layer is preferably set to a value in the range of 2 to 100 μm, and more preferably set to a value in the range of 5 to 50 μm.

Moreover, it is preferable to make content of the hole transport agent which has a specific structure into the value within the range of 10-500 weight part with respect to 100 weight part of binder resin in a charge transport layer.
The reason for this is that by making the content of the hole transporting agent having a specific structure in such a range, the charge transport between these hole transporting agents can be made more efficient and the dispersibility in the charge transporting layer can be improved. This is because it can be improved.
Therefore, the electrical characteristics can be further improved and the generation of cracks can be more effectively suppressed.
That is, when the content of the hole transporting agent having a specific structure is less than 10 parts by weight, the sensitivity is lowered, which may cause a practical problem. On the other hand, when the content of the hole transporting agent having a specific structure exceeds 500 parts by weight, the hole transporting agent tends to be excessively crystallized, and the electrical characteristics of the electrophotographic photosensitive member are deteriorated. This is because it may be difficult to suppress the occurrence of cracks.
Therefore, it is more preferable to set the content of the hole transport agent having a specific structure to a value within the range of 25 to 200 parts by weight.

Moreover, it is preferable to make content of the compound represented by General formula (2) into the value within the range of 1-100 weight part with respect to 100 weight part of binder resin in a charge transport layer.
This is because the mechanical strength of the charge transport layer can be maintained while sufficiently suppressing the occurrence of cracks by setting the content of the additive having a specific structure within the above range. is there.
That is, when the content of the additive having a specific structure is less than 1 part by weight, the stress relaxation action due to plasticization of the charge transport layer cannot be sufficiently exhibited, and the generation of cracks is effective. This is because it may be difficult to suppress it. On the other hand, when the content of the additive having a specific structure exceeds 100 parts by weight, the glass transition of the charge transport layer is excessively lowered, and it becomes difficult to maintain sufficient mechanical strength. This is because there are cases.
Therefore, the content of the additive having a specific structure is more preferably set to a value within the range of 10 to 90 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin of the photosensitive layer. More preferably, the value is within the range.
The content of the charge generation agent in the charge generation layer is preferably set to a value within the range of 5 to 1000 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the charge generation layer, and within the range of 30 to 500 parts by weight. It is more preferable to set the value within the range.

[Second Embodiment]
The second embodiment is an image forming apparatus equipped with the electrophotographic photosensitive member as the first embodiment, and at least a charging unit, a developing unit, and a transfer unit are arranged around the electrophotographic photosensitive member. In addition, the image forming apparatus is characterized in that any means is disposed in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus as the second embodiment will be described focusing on the points different from the contents described in the first embodiment.

The image forming apparatus of the second embodiment can be configured as a copying machine 30 as shown in FIG. 5, for example. The copying machine 30 includes an image forming unit 31, a paper discharge unit 32, an image reading unit 33, and a document feeding unit 34. The image forming unit 31 further includes an image forming unit 31a and a paper feeding unit 31b. In the illustrated example, the document feeding unit 34 includes a document placing tray 34a, a document feeding mechanism 34b, and a document discharge tray 34c, and the document placed on the document placing tray 34a. Is fed to the image reading position P by the document feeding mechanism 34b and then discharged to the document discharge tray 34c.
Then, when the original is sent to the original reading position P, the image reading unit 33 reads the image on the original using the light from the light source 33a. That is, an image signal corresponding to the image on the document is formed using an optical element 33b such as a CCD.
On the other hand, recording sheets (hereinafter simply referred to as “sheets”) S stacked on the sheet feeding unit 31b are sent one by one to the image forming unit 31a. The image forming unit 31a is provided with a photoconductive drum 41 as an image carrier. Further, around the photoconductive drum 41, a charger 42, an exposure unit 43, a developing unit 44, and a transfer roller. 45 is arranged along the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 41.

Among these components, the photosensitive drum 41 is rotationally driven in the direction indicated by the solid line arrow in the drawing, and the surface thereof is uniformly charged by the charger 42. Thereafter, an exposure process is performed on the photosensitive drum 41 by the exposure device 43 based on the above-described image signal, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 41.
Based on the electrostatic latent image, the developing unit 44 attaches toner and develops it, thereby forming a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 41. The toner image is transferred as a transfer image onto the sheet S conveyed to the nip portion between the photosensitive drum 41 and the transfer roller 45. Next, the sheet S to which the transferred image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 47 and a fixing process is performed.
The photosensitive drum 41 is characterized by using the electrophotographic photosensitive member described in the first embodiment. Further, at least one of the charging unit, the developing unit, and the transfer unit is in contact with the photosensitive drum 41. For example, if it is a transfer means, a form like the transfer roller 45 corresponds to this.

  Further, the sheet S after fixing is sent to the paper discharge unit 32. However, when performing post-processing (for example, stapling processing), the paper S is sent to the intermediate tray 32a and then post-processed. Is done. Thereafter, the sheet S is discharged to a discharge tray portion (not shown) provided on the side surface of the image forming apparatus. On the other hand, when no post-processing is performed, the sheet S is discharged to a discharge tray 32b provided below the intermediate tray 32a. The intermediate tray 32a and the paper discharge tray 32b are configured as a so-called in-body paper discharge unit.

By the way, the generation of cracks tends to be promoted by applying a mechanical external force to the photosensitive layer. On the other hand, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, even if the charging unit or the like is arranged in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member and mechanical external force is applied to the photosensitive layer, cracks are effectively prevented. Occurrence can be suppressed.
Furthermore, since the mounted electrophotographic photosensitive member has excellent electrical characteristics, it is possible to efficiently form a high-quality image in which the generation of black spots is suppressed.

[Example 1]
1. In the electrophotographic photoreceptor container, 3 parts by weight of an X-type metal-free phthalocyanine (CGM-A) represented by the formula (16) as a charge generating agent and a formula (7) as a hole transporting agent are represented. 60 parts by weight of the compound (HTM-1), 30 parts by weight of the compound (ETM-1) represented by the formula (13) as an electron transport agent, and a compound (P) represented by the formula (4) as an additive 20 parts by weight of -1), 100 parts by weight of a polycarbonate resin having a viscosity average molecular weight of 30,000 as a binder resin, and 800 parts by weight of tetrahydrofuran as a solvent were accommodated.
Subsequently, it was mixed and dispersed in a ball mill for 50 hours to prepare a coating solution for a single-layer type photosensitive layer. Next, the obtained coating solution was applied on a base body (aluminum tube) having a length of 254 mm and a diameter of 30 mm by a dip coating method, and dried with hot air at 100 ° C. for 40 minutes to obtain a film thickness of 25 μm. A single layer type electrophotographic photosensitive member having a single layer type photosensitive layer was obtained.

2. Evaluation of electrophotographic photoreceptor (1) Evaluation of generation of cracks Evaluation of generation of cracks in the obtained electrophotographic photoreceptor was performed.
That is, ten places on the surface of the obtained electrophotographic photosensitive member were directly touched by hands to attach fat derived from a human body and left for 3 days. Subsequently, the generation | occurrence | production condition of the crack in each adhesion location was confirmed using the optical microscope, and it evaluated along the following reference | standard. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.
◯: There are no cracks at 0 places.
(Triangle | delta): The crack generation location is 1-3 places.
X: The crack generation location is 4 or more locations.

(2) Evaluation of black spot generation Moreover, black spot generation | occurrence | production in the obtained electrophotographic photoreceptor was evaluated.
That is, the obtained electrophotographic photosensitive member is mounted on a printer (manufactured by Kyocera Mita, DP-560), and continuously printed 5000 sheets of A4 paper (Fuji Xerox high-quality PPC paper) at 40 ° C. and 90% Rh environmental conditions. did. Thereafter, after leaving for 24 hours, a blank A4 paper document was printed, and the number of black spots generated on the A4 paper was counted and evaluated according to the following criteria. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.
○: Less than 50 black spots occur per A4 sheet.
Δ: The number of black spots generated per A4 paper is 50 or more and less than 80.
X: The number of black spots generated per A4 paper is 80 or more.

(3) Evaluation of electrical characteristics The sensitivity of the obtained electrophotographic photosensitive member was measured under the following conditions.
That is, using a drum sensitivity tester (manufactured by GENTEC Co., Ltd.), the surface potential of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is charged to +850 V, and is extracted from white light of a halogen lamp using a bandpass filter. Monochromatic light (half-width 20 nm, light intensity 0.6 μJ / cm ² ) was irradiated to the electrophotographic photoreceptor surface for 50 msec. Next, the surface potential at the time when 0.35 seconds had elapsed from the start of exposure was measured as the bright potential (V). The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 2]
In Example 2, an electrophotographic photosensitive member was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the compound (P-2) represented by the formula (5) was used as an additive when the electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced. Made and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 3]
In Example 3, an electrophotographic photosensitive member was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the compound (P-3) represented by the formula (6) was used as an additive when the electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced. And evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 4]
In Example 4, when producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, an electrophotographic process was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the hydrazone compound (HTM-2) represented by the formula (8) was used as the hole transport agent. The photoreceptor was manufactured and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 5]
In Example 5, when producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, an electrophotographic process was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the hydrazone compound (HTM-3) represented by the formula (9) was used as the hole transport agent. The photoreceptor was manufactured and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 6]
In Example 6, when producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, electrophotography was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the hydrazone compound (HTM-4) represented by the formula (10) was used as the hole transport agent. The photoreceptor was manufactured and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 7]
In Example 7, when producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, an electrophotographic process was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the hydrazone compound (HTM-5) represented by the formula (11) was used as the hole transport agent. The photoreceptor was manufactured and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 8]
In Example 8, the electrophotographic photosensitive member was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the compound (ETM-2) represented by the formula (14) was used as the electron transporting agent when producing the electrophotographic photosensitive member. And evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 9]
In Example 9, the electrophotographic photosensitive member was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the compound (ETM-3) represented by the formula (15) was used as the electron transporting agent when the electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced. And evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Comparative Example 1]
In Comparative Example 1, an electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1 except that no additive was added when the electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Comparative Example 2]
In Comparative Example 2, the electrophotography was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the amine compound (HTM-7) represented by the formula (20) was used as the hole transporting agent when producing the electrophotographic photoreceptor. The photoreceptor was manufactured and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Comparative Example 3]
In Comparative Example 3, the electrophotography was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the hydrazone compound (HTM-6) represented by the formula (12) was used as the hole transporting agent when producing the electrophotographic photoreceptor. The photoreceptor was manufactured and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 1.

[Example 10]
In Example 10, an electrophotographic photoreceptor was produced in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the content of the hole transporting agent was changed to 30 parts by weight when the electrophotographic photoreceptor was produced. In addition, as an evaluation, only the evaluation of the electrical characteristics described above was performed. The obtained results are shown in Table 2.

[Example 11]
In Example 11, when producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, the electrophotographic photoreceptor was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 10 except that the content of the hole transport agent was changed to 90 parts by weight. The obtained results are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Example 4]
In Comparative Example 4, when producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, an electrophotographic process was performed in the same manner as in Example 10 except that the hydrazone compound (HTM-6) represented by the formula (12) was used as the hole transport agent. The photoreceptor was manufactured and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 2.

[Comparative Examples 5-6]
In Comparative Examples 5 to 6, the electrophotographic photosensitive member was prepared in the same manner as in Comparative Example 4, except that the content of the hole transporting agent was changed to 60 and 90 parts by weight, respectively, when producing the electrophotographic photosensitive member. Made and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 2. The electrical characteristics could not be evaluated because the hole transport agent crystallized in the photosensitive layer.

[Example 12]
In Example 12, an electrophotographic photoreceptor was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the content of the additive was changed to 5 parts by weight when the electrophotographic photoreceptor was produced. Moreover, only evaluation of the crack generation mentioned above was implemented as evaluation. The obtained results are shown in Table 3.

[Example 13]
In Example 13, when producing an electrophotographic photoreceptor, the electrophotographic photoreceptor was produced and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 12 except that the content of the additive was changed to 30 parts by weight. The obtained results are shown in Table 3.

[Comparative Example 7]
In Comparative Example 7, except that the hydrazone compound (HTM-6) represented by the formula (12) was used as the hole transporting agent when the electrophotographic photoreceptor was produced, and no additive was contained, In the same manner as in Example 12, an electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 3.

[Comparative Examples 8-9]
In Comparative Examples 8 to 9, an electrophotographic photoreceptor is produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 7, except that the content of the additive is changed to 5 and 30 parts by weight, respectively, when producing the electrophotographic photoreceptor. And evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 3.

[Comparative Example 10]
In Comparative Example 10, when the electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced, the amine compound (HTM-7) represented by the formula (20) was used as the hole transport agent, and the additive was not included. In the same manner as in Example 12, an electrophotographic photosensitive member was produced and evaluated. The obtained results are shown in Table 3.

[Comparative Examples 11-12]
In Comparative Examples 11-12, an electrophotographic photoreceptor is produced in the same manner as in Comparative Example 10, except that the content of the additive is changed to 5 and 30 parts by weight, respectively, when producing the electrophotographic photoreceptor. And evaluated.

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a hydrazone compound having a specific structure having an excellent hole transfer rate is used as a hole transport agent, and a compound having a specific structure is used as an additive. It is possible to effectively improve the electrical characteristics of the electrophotographic photosensitive member by reducing the crystallinity of the hole transport agent, and to improve the oil resistance of the surface of the photosensitive layer and to effectively suppress the occurrence of cracks. It became so.
Therefore, the electrophotographic photosensitive member of the present invention and an image forming apparatus using the same are expected to contribute to extending the life and speed of various image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers.

(A)-(b) is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the basic structure and deformation | transformation structure of a single layer type electrophotographic photoreceptor. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the relationship between content of the hole transport agent which has a specific structure, and an electrical property. It is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the relationship between content of the additive which has a specific structure, and generation | occurrence | production of a crack. (A)-(b) is a figure provided in order to demonstrate the basic structure and deformation | transformation structure of a laminated type electrophotographic photoreceptor. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an image forming apparatus including an electrophotographic photosensitive member.

Explanation of symbols

10: Single layer type photoreceptor 12: Conductive substrate 14: Photosensitive layer 16: Barrier layer 20: Multilayer type photoreceptor 22: Charge transport layer 24: Charge generation layer 25: Intermediate layer 30: Copying machine 31: Image forming unit 31a : Image forming unit 31 b: Paper feeding unit 32: Paper discharge unit 33: Image reading unit 33 a: Light source 33 b: Optical element 34: Document feeding unit 34 a: Document loading tray 34 b: Document feeding mechanism 34 c: Document discharge tray 41 : Photosensitive drum 42: Charger 43: Exposure source 44: Developer 45: Transfer roller

Claims (8)

An electrophotographic photosensitive member provided with a photosensitive layer containing a hole transporting agent, a charge generating agent and a binder resin on a substrate,
The hole transport agent is a hydrazone compound represented by the following general formula (1), and the photosensitive layer contains a compound represented by the following general formula (2) as an additive. Photoconductor.

(In the general formula (1), R ^{1 to} R ⁴ are each independently a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms. Group, substituted or unsubstituted phenoxy group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms, Ar ¹ is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, substituted or (It is an unsubstituted heterocyclic group having 3 to 30 carbon atoms, and the repeating number n is 0 or 1.)

(In General Formula (2), R ^{5 to} R ⁷ are each independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted carbon number 6 to 30 aryl groups, substituted or unsubstituted benzyl groups having 7 to 30 carbon atoms, and substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.) The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1, wherein the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is a compound represented by the following general formula (3).

(In General Formula (3), Ar ¹ is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group having 3 to 30 carbon atoms, and the repeating number n is 0 or 1. .) The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the compound represented by the general formula (2) is a compound represented by any one of the following formulas (4) to (6).


  The photosensitive layer is a single-layer photosensitive layer, and the content of the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is 10 to 100 weights with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the single-layer photosensitive layer. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 1, wherein the value is within the range of the part.   The content of the compound represented by the general formula (2) is set to a value in the range of 1 to 50 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the single-layer type photosensitive layer. Item 5. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to Item 4.   The photosensitive layer is a multilayer photosensitive layer, and the content of the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula (1) is 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the charge transport layer included in the multilayer photosensitive layer. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the value is within a range of 10 to 500 parts by weight.   The content of the compound represented by the general formula (2) is set to a value in the range of 1 to 100 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the binder resin in the charge transport layer included in the multilayer photosensitive layer. The electrophotographic photosensitive member according to claim 6. An image forming apparatus equipped with the electrophotographic photosensitive member according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
At least a charging unit, a developing unit, and a transfer unit are disposed around the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and any of the units is disposed in contact with the electrophotographic photosensitive member. .