An object of the present invention is to provide an image bearing member for electrophotography. The image bearing member has high mechanical properties which include abrasion resistance and scratch resistance, is excellent in toner releasability, and is capable of retaining these features. The present invention provides an image bearing member for electrophotography, which includes a surface layer, the surface layer being composed of a polymerization-cured product of a composition containing a polymerizable monomer and surface-treated metal oxide particles, and the surface-treated metal oxide particles are metal oxide particles surface-treated with a surface treating agent having a silicone side chain.

Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member that suppresses image smearing at the time of its repeated use, and expresses satisfactory wear resistance and electric characteristics. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support and a photosensitive layer in the stated order, wherein a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a copolymer of a hole-transportable compound having a chain-polymerizable functional group and a specific compound having maleimide groups.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member with suppressed potential variation even in the case that a protective layer including a cured material of a composition having a polymerizable functional group is used is provided. An electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support, a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer containing a charge transporting material, and a protective layer, in the order presented, wherein the charge transport layer contains a polycarbonate resin having a structure selected from a group A and a structure selected from a group B, and the protective layer includes a cured material of a composition containing a compound having at least a functional group selected from chain-polymerizable functional groups and sequential polymerizable functional groups.

Provided is an image-forming apparatus including: an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support, a photosensitive layer, and a protective layer in the stated order; a charging unit; an exposing unit; a developing unit; a transferring unit; and a cleaning unit configured to clean off the toner, which remains on the electrophotographic photosensitive member after the transfer of the toner image from the electrophotographic photosensitive member by the transferring unit, with a cleaning blade, wherein the electrophotographic photosensitive member includes, on a surface thereof, a fatty acid metal salt-supplying unit configured to supply a fatty acid metal salt having 16 or more and 18 or less carbon atoms, and wherein the protective layer has a triphenylamine structure, one of an acryloyloxy group and a methacryloyloxy group, and a specific structure.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image bearing member for electrophotography. The image bearing member has high mechanical properties which include abrasion resistance and scratch resistance, is excellent in toner releasability, and is capable of retaining these features. The present invention provides an image bearing member for electrophotography, which includes a surface layer, the surface layer being composed of a polymerization-cured product of a composition containing a polymerizable monomer and surface-treated metal oxide particles, and the surface-treated metal oxide particles are metal oxide particles surface-treated with a surface treating agent having a silicone side chain.

A release agent material including a blend of a nonfunctional siloxane release agent fluid and at least two different organo-functional siloxane release agent materials having amino-functional groups or alkyl functional groups, useful in machines having gamut extension capability.

The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a support and a photosensitive layer on the support, in which a surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a particle, the surface layer has a particle partially exposed from the surface layer among the particle contained in the surface layer, the particle has a volume average particle diameter of 50.0 nm or more and 350.0 nm or less; in a cross-section of the surface layer, the number of the particle partially exposed from the surface layer is 80% by number or more based on a total number of the particle contained in the surface layer; and a total volume of an exposed portion of the particle partially exposed from the surface layer is 30% by volume or more and 80% by volume or less based on an entire volume of the particle contained in the surface layer.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member with suppressed potential variation even in the case that a protective layer including a cured material of a composition having a polymerizable functional group is used is provided. An electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support, a charge generation layer, a charge transport layer containing a charge transporting material, and a protective layer, in the order presented, wherein the charge transport layer contains a polycarbonate resin having a structure selected from a group A and a structure selected from a group B, and the protective layer includes a cured material of a composition containing a compound having at least a functional group selected from chain-polymerizable functional groups and sequential polymerizable functional groups.

An image forming method in which a surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a compound having a specific structure in an amount of 0.1% to 10% by mass based on the total mass of the surface layer, and in a charged region of the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member charged in a charging step, a non-image forming region in which an electrostatic latent image is not formed is not irradiated with destaticizing light or is irradiated with reduced destaticizing light.

Provided are a process cartridge and an image-forming method each of which has a satisfactory cleaning property even at the initial stage of the use of a brand-new process cartridge or electrophotographic apparatus, and hence can suppress a reduction in image quality due to the contamination of a charging member. The charge transporting layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a specific polyarylate resin or polycarbonate resin, and a toner contains a specific fine particle on the surface of a toner particle.