Photoreceptors comprising aligned nano-sized domains of charge transport components that have significant intermolecular pi-pi orbital overlap

1. A photoreceptor device, comprising:

at least a substrate; a charge generating layer; and a charge transport layer having charge transport materials,

wherein the charge transport materials are discotic liquid crystals selected from the group consisting of fused ring aromatic hydrocarbon components, p-type fused ring hetero-aromatic components, n-type fused ring hetero-aromatic components, and mixtures thereof wherein the charge transport materials include:

where X is —S. —Se, —O, or —NR, where R is an alkyl or aryl having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms.

2. The photoreceptor device according to claim 1 , wherein the charge transport materials are arranged such that intermolecular spacings form pi-pi stacking.

3. The photoreceptor device according to claim 1 , wherein the pi-pi stacking forms domains where the charge transport materials are highly ordered such that the domains are aligned together in a manner where a vector sum of individual domain directors is within about 45 degrees from a normal line to the substrate.

4. The photoreceptor device according to claim 3 , wherein the vector sum of the individual domain directors is within about 30 degrees from a normal line to the substrate.

5. The photoreceptor device according to claim 3 , wherein the vector sum of the individual domain directors is perpendicular to the substrate.

6. The photoreceptor device according to claim 1 , wherein the intermolecular spacings are from more than about 0 to about 5 nm.

7. The photoreceptor device according to claim 6 , wherein the intermolecular spacings are less than about 5 Å.

8. The photoreceptor device according to claim 1 , wherein the charge transport materials are selected from the group consisting of polycyclic aromatic ring, a nitrogen-containing hetero ring, triazines, indolocarbazoles, carbazole, N-ethyl carbazole, N-isopropyl carbazole, N-phenyl carbazole, tetraphenylpyrene, 1-methyl pyrene, perylene, chrysene, anthracene, tetraphene, 2-phenyl naphthalene, azopyrene, 1-ethyl pyrene, acetyl pyrene, 2,3-benzoclirysene, 2,4-benzopyrene, 1,4-bromopyrene, poly(N-vinylcarbazole), poly(vinylpyrene), poly(vinyltetraphene), poly(vinyltetracene), poly(vinylperylene), 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone, 2,4,5,7-tetranitro-fluorenone, dinitroanthracene, dinitroacridene, tetracyanopyrene, dinitroanthraquinone, butylcarbonylfluorenemalononitrile, arylamines, and mixtures thereof.

9. The photoreceptor device according to claim 1 , wherein the charge transport layer further includes a binder.

10. The photoreceptor device according to claim 9 , wherein the binder is capable of forming a self-assembled patterned layer.

11. A photoreceptor device, comprising:

at least a substrate; and a single layer including charge transport materials and charge generating materials,

wherein the charge transport materials are discotic liquid crystals selected from the group consisting of fused ring aromatic hydrocarbon components, p-type fused ring hetero-aromatic components, n-type fused ring hetero-aromatic components, and mixtures thereof wherein the charge transport materials include:

where X is —S. —Se, —O, or —NR, where R is an alkyl or aryl having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms.

12. The photoreceptor device according to claim 11 , wherein the charge transport materials are arranged such that intermolecular spacings form pi-pi stacking.

13. The photoreceptor device according to claim 11 , wherein the pi-pi stacking forms domains where the charge transport materials are highly ordered such that the domains are aligned together in a manner where a vector sum of individual domain directors is within about 45 degrees from a normal line to the substrate.

14. The photoreceptor device according to claim 13 , wherein the vector sum of the individual domain directors is within about 30 degrees from a normal line to the substrate.

15. The photoreceptor device according to claim 13 , wherein the vector sum of the individual domain directors is perpendicular to the substrate.

16. The photoreceptor device according to claim 11 , wherein the intermolecular spacings are from more than about 0 to about 5 nm.

17. The photoreceptor device according to claim 16 , wherein the intermolecular spacings are less than about 5 Å.

18. The photoreceptor device according to claim 11 , wherein the charge transport materials are selected from the group consisting of polycyclic aromatic ring, a nitrogen-containing hetero ring, triazines, indolocarbazoles, carbazole, N-ethyl carbazole, N-isopropyl carbazole, N-phenyl carbazole, tetraphenylpyrene, 1-methyl pyrene, perylene, clrysene, anthracene, tetraphene, 2-phenyl naphthalene, azopyrene, 1-ethyl pyrene, acetyl pyrene, 2,3-benzoclirysene, 2,4-benzopyrene, 1,4-bromopyrene, poly(N-vinylcarbazole), poly(vinylpyrene), poly(vinyltetraphene), poly(vinyltetracene), poly(vinylperylene), 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone, 2,4,5,7-tetranitro-fluorenone, dinitroantliracene, dinitroacridene, tetracyanopyrene, dinitroanthraquinone, butylcarbonylfluorenemalononitrile, arylamines, and mixtures thereof.

19. The photoreceptor device according to claim 11 , wherein the charge transport layer further includes a binder.

20. The photoreceptor device according to claim 19 , wherein the binder is capable of forming a self-assembled patterned layer.