Use of salt-like structured silicas as charge control agents

1. A method of imparting, controlling or improving the charge of an electrophotographic toner or developer, or an electret material, consisting of adding only a structured silicate salt, wherein the cation is a low molecular weight, nonpolymeric ammonium ion or a combination of a low molecular weight, nonpolymeric ammonium ion with NH 4 + , H 3 O + , an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, an earth metal or with a transition metal and the anion is an island, cyclic, group, chain, ribbon, laminar or matrix silicate or a combination thereof to a binder of an electrophotographic toner or developer or of an electret material, wherein the low molecular weight, nonpolymeric ammonium ion is selected from one of the formulas (a) through (j)

in which

R 1 to R 18 are identical or different and represent hydrogen, CN, (CH 2 ) 1-18 CN, halogen, branched or unbranched C 1 -C 32 -alkyl, mono- or polyunsaturated C 2 -C 32 -alkenyl, C 1 -C 22 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 22 -hydroxyalkyl, C 1 -C 22 -halogenoalkyl, C 2 -C 22 -halogenoalkenyl, C 1 -C 22 -aminoalkyl, (C 1 -C 12 )-trialkyl-ammonium-(C 1 -C 22 )-alkyl; (C 1 -C 22 )-alkylene-(C═O)O—(C 1 -C 32 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 22 )-alkylene-(C═O)O-aryl, (C 1 -C 22 )-alkylene-(C═O)NH—(C 1 -C 32 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 22 )-alkylene-(C═O)NH-aryl, (C 1 -C 22 )-alkylene-O(C═O)—(C 1 -C 32 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 22 )-alkylene-O(CO)aryl, (C 1 -C 22 )-alkylene-NH(C═O)—(C 1 -C 32 )alkyl, or (C 1 -C 22 )-alkylene-NHCO-aryl,

wherein

are optionally inserted into the acid ester or acid amide bonds;

[(C 1 -C 12 )-alkylene-O—]—H; aryl, (C 1 -C 18 )-alkylenearyl; —(O—SiR′ 2 )—O—SiR′ 3 , in which R′ has the meaning C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, phenyl, benzyl or C 1 -C 12 -alkoxy; heterocyclyl, or C 1 -C 18 -alkylene-heterocyclyl, wherein the aryl and heterocyclyl radicals are optionally mono- or polysubstituted on carbon atoms or heteroatoms by C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkenyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, hydroxy-(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, amino-(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylimino, carboxyl, hydroxyl, amino, nitro, cyano, halogen, C 1 -C 12 -acyl, C 1 -C 4 -halogenalkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylcarbonyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylcarbonyloxy, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylaminocarbonyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylcarbonylimino, C 6 -C 10 -arylcarbonyl, aminocarbonyl, aminosulfonyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylaminosulfonyl, phenyl, naphthyl, or heteroaryl;

R 19 represents C 4 -C 11 -alkylene, —(C 2 H 4 —O—) 1-17 —(CH 2 ) 1-2 — or —(C 2 H 4 —NR—) 1-17 , —(CH 2 ) 1-2 —, in which R is hydrogen or C 1 -C 12 -alkyl;

X has the meaning of Y, or —CO—CH 2 —CO—,

Y has the meaning

or o-, p-, m-(C 6 -C 14 )-arylene or (C 4 -C 14 )-heteroarylene with 1, 2, 3 or 4 heteroatoms from the group consisting of N, O, S and a combination thereof;

R 60 represents C 1 -C 32 -acyl, C 1 -C 22 -alkyl, C 2 -C 22 -alkenyl, C 1 -C 18 -alkylene-C 6 -C 10 -aryl, C 1 -C 22 -alkylene-heterocyclyl, C 6 -C 10 -aryl or (C 4 -C 14 )-heteroaryl with 1, 2, 3 or 4 heteroatoms from the group consisting of N, O, S, and a combination thereof;

R 61 and R 64 represent —(CH 2 ) 1-18 —, C 1 -C 12 -alkylene-C 6 -C 10 -arylene, C 6 -C 10 -arylene, or C 0 -C 12 -alkylene-heterocyclyl;

Z represents —NH— or —O—;

A 1 − and A 3 − represent —COO −, —SO 3 − , —OSO 3 − , —SO 2 − , —COS − or —CS 2 − ;

A 2 represents —SO 2 Na, —SO 3 Na, —SO 2 H, —SO 3 H or hydrogen;

R 69 and R 70 independently of one another represent hydrogen, C 1 -C 32 -alkyl, in which the alkyl chain optionally contain one or more of the groups selected from the group consisting of —NH—CO—, —CO—NH—, —CO—O—, and —O—CO—; C 1 -C 18 -alkylene-aryl, C 0 -C 18 -alkylene-heterocyclyl, C 1 -C 18 -hydroxyalkyl, C 1 -C 18 -halogenoalkyl, aryl, —(CH 2 ) 3 —SO 3 − ,

R 71 and R 72 represent —(CH 2 ) 1-12 —; and

R 73 and R 74 represent hydrogen or C 1 -C 22 -alkyl.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein R 1 to R 18 is hydrogen, CN, CH 2 —CN, CF 3 , C 1 -C 22 -alkyl, C 2 -C 18 -alkenyl, C 1 -C 18 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 18 -hydroxy-alkyl, C 1 -C 18 -halogenoalkyl, C 2 -C 18 -halogenoalkenyl, C 1 -C 18 -aminoalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )-trialkylammonium-(C 1 -C 18 )-alkyl, (C 1 -C 18 )-alkylene-O(C═O)—(C 1 -C 22 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 18 )-alkylene-O(C═O)-phenyl, (C 1 -C 18 )-alkylene-NHCO—(C 1 -C 22 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 18 )-alkylene-NHCO-phenyl, (C 1 -C 18 )-alkylene-(C═O)O—(C 1 -C 22 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 18 )-alkylene-(C═O)O-phenyl, (C 1 -C 18 )alkylene-(C═O)NH—(C 1 -C 22 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 18 )-alkylene-CONH-phenyl, benzyl, phenyl, naphthyl or C 1 -C 12 -alkylene-heterocyclyl;

R 19 denotes C 4 -C 5 -alkylene, —(C 2 H 4 —O) 1-9 —(CH 2 ) 1-2 — or —(C 2 N 4 —NH) 1-9 —(CH 2 ) 1-2 —;

R 60 denotes C 1 -C 18 -acyl, C 1 -C 18 -alkyl, C 2 -C 18 -alkenyl, C 1 -C 12 -alkylene-phenyl, C 1 -C 18 -alkylenepyridyl, phenyl or pyridyl;

R 61 and R 64 are —(CH 2 ) 1-12 —, C 1 -C 8 -alkylene-phenylene, phenylene or C 1 -C 8 -alkylenepyridylene or -piperidylene;

R 71 and R 72 are —(CH 2 ) 1-8 and

R 73 and R 74 are hydrogen or (C 1 -C 18 )-alkyl.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the structured silicate salt is distearyldimethyl ammonium bentonite.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the structured silicate salt imparts either a positive or negative charge.

5. A method of imparting, controlling or improving the charge of an electrophotographic toner or developer, or an electret material, consisting of adding only a structured silicate salt, wherein the cation is a low molecular weight, nonpolymeric ammonium ion or a combination of a low molecular weight, nonpolymeric ammonium ion with NH 4 + , H 3 O + , an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, an earth metal or with a transition metal and the anion is an island, cyclic, group, chain, ribbon, laminar or matrix silicate or a combination thereof to a binder of an electrophotographic toner or developer or of an electret material, wherein the low molecular weight, nonpolymeric ammonium ion is an aliphatic or aromatic 5- to 12-membered heterocyclic radical with 1 to 4 atoms selected from the group consisting of N, O, S and a combination thereof, belonging to the rings.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the heterocyclic radical is pyridinium, pyridazinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, purinium, tetraazaporphyrinium, piperidinium, morpholinium, tetrazonium, triaza-cyclononanium or tetraaza-cyclododecanium.