Electrophotographic photoreceptor, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus

1. An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising:

a conductive substrate;

a charge generating layer provided on the conductive substrate;

a charge transporting layer provided on the charge generating layer; and

an outermost surface layer provided on the charge transporting layer,

wherein the charge transporting layer includes a charge transporting material and a polycarbonate copolymer having a solubility parameter as calculated by a Feders method of from 11.40 to 11.75, and

the outermost surface layer includes a charge transporting material, fluorine-containing resin particles, and a fluorine-containing dispersant.

2. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1 , wherein the polycarbonate copolymer has repeating structural units having a solubility parameter as calculated by a Feders method of from 12.2 to 12.4.

3. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according claim 1 , wherein the polycarbonate copolymer is a polycarbonate copolymer having repeating structural units represented by the following general formula (PC-1):

wherein R pc1 and R pc2 each independently represent a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; and pca and pcb each independently represent an integer of 0 to 4.

4. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 3 , wherein the ratio of the repeating structural units represented by the general formula (PC-1) is from 20% by mole to 40% by mole, based on the polycarbonate copolymer.

5. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1 , wherein the polycarbonate copolymer is a polycarbonate copolymer having repeating structural units represented by the following general formula (PC-2):

wherein R pc3 and R pc4 each independently represent a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; pcc and pcd each independently represent an integer of 0 to 4; X pc represents —CR pc5 R pc6 —, a 1,1-cycloalkylene group having 5 to 11 carbon atoms, an α,ω-alkylene group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, —O—, —S—, —SO—, or —SO 2 —; and R pc 5 and R pc6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a trifluoromethyl group, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

6. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 5 , wherein the ratio of the repeating structural units represented by the general formula (PC-2) is from 35% by mole to 55% by mole, based on the polycarbonate copolymer.

7. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1 , wherein the charge transporting material of the outermost surface layer is at least one selected from the reactive compounds represented by the following general formulae (I) and (II):

wherein F represents a charge transporting skeleton; L represents a divalent linking group including two or more selected from the group consisting of an alkylene group, an alkenylene group, —C(═O)—, —N(R)—, —S—, and —O—; R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an aralkyl group; and m represents an integer of 1 to 8,

wherein F represents a charge transporting skeleton; L′ represents an (n+1)-valent linking group including two or more selected from the group consisting of a trivalent or tetravalent group derived from an alkane or an alkene, and an alkylene group, an alkenylene group, —C(═O)—, N(R)—, —S—, and —O—; R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an aralkyl group; m′ represents an integer of 1 to 6; and n represents an integer of 2 to 3.

8. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 7 , wherein the reactive compound represented by the general formula (I) is at least one reactive compound selected from the reactive compounds represented by the following general formula (I-a), the following general formula (I-b), the following general formula (I-c), and the following general formula (I-d):

wherein Ar a1 to Ar a4 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; Ar a5 and Ar a6 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group; Xa represents a divalent linking group formed by a combination of the groups selected from an alkylene group, —O—, —S—, and an ester; Da represents a group represented by the following general formula (IA-a); and ac1 to ac4 each independently represent an integer of 0 to 2, provided that the total number of Da is 1 or 2,

wherein L a is represented by *—(CH 2 ) a0 —O—CH 2 — and represents a divalent linking group linked to a group represented by Ar a1 to Ar a4 at *; and a0 represents an integer of 1 or 2,

wherein Ar b1 to Ar b4 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; Ar b 5 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group; Db represents a group represented by the following general formula (IA-b); bc1 to bc5 each independently represent an integer of 0 to 2; and bk represents 0 or 1, provided that the total number of Db is 1 or 2,

wherein L b includes a group represented by *—(CH 2 ) bn —O— and represents a divalent linking group linked to a group represented by Ar b1 to Ar b5 at *; and bn represents an integer of 3 to 6,

wherein Ar c1 to Ar c4 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; Ar c5 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group; Dc represents a group represented by the following general formula (IA-c); cc1 to cc5 each independently represent an integer of 0 to 2; and ck represents 0 or 1, provided that the total number of Dc is from 1 to 8,

wherein L c represents a divalent linking group including one or more groups selected from the group consisting of the groups formed by a combination of —C(═O)—, —N(R)—, —S—, or —C(═O)—, and —O—, —N(R)—, or —S—; and R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an aralkyl group,

wherein Ar d1 to Ar d4 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; Ar d5 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group; Dd represents a group represented by the following general formula (IA-d); dc1 to dc5 each independently represent an integer of 0 to 2;

and dk represents 0 or 1, provided that the total number of Dd is from 3 to 8,

wherein L d includes a group represented by *—(CH 2 ) dn —O— and represents a divalent linking group linked to a group represented by Ar d1 to Ar d5 at *; and do represents an integer of 1 to 6.

9. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 8 , wherein the group represented by the general formula (IA-c) is a group represented by the following general formula (IA-c1):

wherein cp1 represents an integer of 0 to 4.

10. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 7 , wherein the compound represented by the general formula (II) is a compound represented by the following general formula (II-a):

wherein Ar k1 to Ar k4 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; Ar k5 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group; Dk represents a group represented by the following general formula (IIA-a); kc1 to kc5 each independently represent an integer of 0 to 2; and kk represents 0 or 1, provided that the total number of DR is from 1 to 8,

wherein L k represents a (kn+1)-valent linking group including two or more selected from the group consisting of a trivalent or tetravalent group derived from an alkane or an alkene, and an alkylene group, an alkenylene group, —C(═O)—, —N(R)—, —S—, and —O—; R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, or an aralkyl group; and kn represents an integer of 2 to 3.

11. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 7 , wherein the group linked to the charge transporting skeleton represented by F of the compound represented by the general formula (II) is a group represented by the following general formula (IIA-a1) or (IIA-a2):

wherein X k1 represents a divalent linking group; kq1 represents an integer of 0 or 1; X k2 represents a divalent linking group; and kq2 represents an integer of 0 or 1.

12. The electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 7 , wherein the group linked to the charge transporting skeleton represented by F of the compound represented by the general formula (II) is a group represented by the following general formula (IIA-a3) or

wherein X k3 represents a divalent linking group; kq3 represents an integer of 0 or 1; X k4 represents a divalent linking group; and kq4 represents an integer of 0 or 1.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an electrophotographic photoreceptor;

a charging unit that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor;

a latent image forming unit that forms an electrostatic latent image on a charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor;

a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor by a toner to form a toner image; and

a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor onto a recording medium,

wherein the electrophotographic photoreceptor is the electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1 .

14. A process cartridge attachable to or detachable from an image forming apparatus, wherein

the process cartridge has an electrophotographic photoreceptor; and

the electrophotographic photoreceptor is the electrophotographic photoreceptor according to claim 1 .