An improved overcoat layer for an organic photoconductor drum used in an electrophotographic image forming device is provided. The overcoat layer is prepared from a curable composition including a charge transport molecule containing four radical polymerizable hydrophilic functional groups containing an oxygen atom of the general structure shown below:

##STR00001##

wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 contain a spacer group and a radical polymerizable hydrophilic functional group containing an oxygen atom, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are a non-radical polymerizable functional group, and R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 contain a spacer group and a radical polymerizable hydrophilic functional group containing an oxygen atom. The curable composition may also contain at least one optional curing agent. This overcoat layer improves wear resistance of the organic photoconductor drum without negatively altering the electrophotographic properties, thus protecting the organic photoconductor drum from damage and extending its service life.

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member in which a surface layer contains a polymer of a hole transport material having a polymerizable functional group, and the hole transport material has a specific fluorene structure.

An improved organic photoconductor drum used in an electrophotographic image forming device and method to make the same is provided. The organic photoconductor drum contains a protective overcoat. The protective overcoat is prepared from a curable composition including a charge transport molecule containing four radical polymerizable hydrophilic functional groups containing an oxygen atom of the general structure shown below:

##STR00001##

where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 contain a spacer group and a radical polymerizable hydrophilic functional group containing an oxygen atom, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are a non-radical polymerizable functional group, and R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 contain a spacer group and a radical polymerizable hydrophilic functional group containing an oxygen atom. The curable composition may also contain at least one curing agent. This organic photoconductor drum has excellent wear resistance without negatively altering the electrophotographic properties, thus protecting the organic photoconductor drum from damage and extending its service life.

The present invention provides a satisfactory electrophotographic photosensitive member which satisfies wear resistance and electrical properties and further, with which image defects do not occur, a process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and an electrophotographic apparatus and a process cartridge each including the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member the surface layer of which contains a copolymer of a polymerizable functional group-containing charge transporting substance and a particular polymerizable compound.

An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor that includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer disposed on the conductive substrate, and does not contain lubricant particles in a region of 30% from a surface of an outermost surface layer with respect to a film thickness of the outermost surface layer or contains 5% by mass or less of the lubricant particles with respect to an entirety of the region, a charging device that charges a surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, an electrostatic latent image forming device that forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor with a developer containing an electrostatic charge image developing toner to form a toner image, a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a surface of a recording medium, and a cleaning device that has a cleaning blade and cleans the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor by bringing the cleaning blade into contact with the surface after the toner image is transferred by the transfer device, in which a dynamic friction coefficient in a contact portion between the electrophotographic photoreceptor and the cleaning blade is 0.2 or greater and 0.6 or less.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member, in which occurrences of image defects are suppressed, and a method for manufacturing the electrophotographic photosensitive member are provided. In addition, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus, which include the electrophotographic photosensitive member, are provided. The surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a cured material, and the cured material is a copolymer of a hole transport compound having a chain-polymerizable functional group and a vinyl ester compound containing a long-chain alkyl group.

An object of the present invention is achieved by an electrophotographic photoreceptor containing a conductive support sequentially laminated thereon with at least a photosensitive layer and a protective layer in that order, wherein the protective layer includes a cured composition having a radical polymerizable compound for a binder, a charge transport agent having a radical polymerizable functional group, and a photopolymerization initiator; the charge transport agent having a radical polymerizable functional group has a maximum absorption wavelength in the range of 40550 nm; and the charge transport agent having a radical polymerizable functional group and the photopolymerization initiator satisfy Formula (A),

G=Eox(D/D.sup.+)Ered(A.sup./A)E*0.2(eV). Formula (A):

To provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member being excellent in abrasion resistance and having good electrical characteristics. The surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a copolymerized product of a hole transporting compound having a specified structure and a compound having a specified structure.

A compound represented by the formula (1) below is proposed as a novel compound having electron-transporting property which dissolves sufficiently in an organic solvent.

one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents one or more substituents

A method to make an improved organic photoconductor drum of an electrophotographic image forming device is provided. The improved organic photoconductor drum is prepared using a curable composition including a charge transport molecule containing four radical polymerizable functional groups of the general structure exemplified below:

##STR00001##

where R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 contain a spacer group and a radical polymerizable functional group, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are selected from the group consisting of a radical polymerizable functional group, a non-radical polymerizable functional group, and one each of a radical polymerizable functional group and a non-radial polymerizable functional group, and R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 contain a spacer group and a radical polymerizable functional group.