Ink-jet recording sheet and method for preparing the same

1. An ink-jet recording sheet comprising a support and a colorant receiving layer disposed on the surface of the support,

wherein the colorant receiving layer is a layer obtained by cross-linking and hardening a coated layer obtained by coating a coating solution including inorganic fine particles, a water-soluble resin and a boron compound,

wherein the inorganic fine particles are gas phase method silica having an average primary particle diameter of 20 nm or smaller, and the water-soluble resin is a polyvinyl alcohol, and

wherein the cross-linking and hardening is performed by applying a solution including a metal compound and having a pH of 8 or higher to the coated layer or a coated film at a time selected from the following:

(1) at the same time as coating the coating solution;

(2) during drying of the coated layer formed by coating the coating solution and before the coated layer shows a falling rate of drying; or

(3) after a coated layer formed by coating the coating solution is dried to form the coated film.

2. An ink-jet recording sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the metal compound is a metal compound stable under the basic condition at pH of 8 or higher.

3. An ink-jet recording sheet according to claim 1 , wherein the metal compound is ammonium zirconium carbonate, ammonium zinc acetate, ammonium zinc carbonate, ammonium zirconium nitrate, potassium zirconium carbonate, or ammonium zirconium citrate.

4. A method for preparing an ink-jet recording sheet including a support and a colorant receiving layer disposed on the surface of the support, comprising:

coating a coating solution including inorganic fine particles, a water-soluble resin and a boron compound on the surface of the support to form a coated layer; and

cross-linking and hardening the coated layer to form a colorant receiving layer;

wherein a pH of the coating solution is 5.0 or lower, and

wherein the cross-linking and hardening is performed by applying a solution containing a metal compound and having a pH of 9.0 or higher to the coated layer or a coated film at a time selected from the following:

(1) at the same time as coating the coating solution;

(2) during drying of the coated layer formed by coating the coating solution and before the coated layer shows a falling rate of drying; or

(3) after the coated layer formed by coating the coating solution is dried to form the coated film.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the metal compound is a zirconium compound.

6. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the inorganic fine particles are gas phase method silica having an average primary particle diameter of 20 nm or smaller, and the water-soluble resin is a polyvinyl alcohol.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein an amount of the gas phase method silica is at least 90% by mass with respect to the whole inorganic fine particles, and an amount of the polyvinyl alcohol is at least 90% by mass with respect to the entire water-soluble resin.

8. A method according to claim 6 , wherein a ratio of the gas phase method silica included to the polyvinyl alcohol included is in the range of 1.5:1 to 10:1.

9. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the boron compound is at least one of borax, boric acid and boric acid salt.