An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate, an organic photosensitive layer on the conductive substrate, and an inorganic protective layer on the organic photosensitive layer. A layer that constitutes a surface of the organic photosensitive layer contains a charge transport material, a binder resin, silica particles, and a silicone compound.

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising, on a conductive base: a charge generation layer; and a charge transport layer having a film thickness of 15 μm to 40 μm, wherein the charge transport layer is an outermost layer, and the charge transport layer contains an inorganic filler and a hydrocarbon compound represented by the following Formula (1).

An image forming method includes forming an image with a toner using a photoconductor in which an intermediate layer and a photosensitive layer including a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer are formed overlying an electroconductive substrate, wherein the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and the ionization potential of the surface of the toner satisfy the following relations 1 and 2,
|Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)Ip (the surface of the toner)|5.53 (eV) Relation 1
5.45 (eV)Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)5.53 (eV) Relation 2
where Ip (the surface of the photoconductor) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and Ip (the surface of the toner) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the toner.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an electroconductive support member and a photosensitive layer. The uppermost layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member defines a surface layer, and the surface layer contains polytetrafluoroethylene particles, a charge transporting material, and polyvinyl acetal. The proportion of the polyvinyl acetal content to the polytetrafluoroethylene particles content in the surface layer is in the range of 0.1% by mass to 15.0% by mass, and the charge transporting material content in the surface layer is 35% by mass or more relative to the total mass of the surface layer.

An image forming method includes forming an image with a toner using a photoconductor in which an intermediate layer and a photosensitive layer including a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer are formed overlying an electroconductive substrate, wherein the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and the ionization potential of the surface of the toner satisfy the following relations 1 and 2,

|Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)Ip (the surface of the toner)|5.53 (eV) Relation 1

5.45 (eV)Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)5.53 (eV) Relation 2

where Ip (the surface of the photoconductor) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and Ip (the surface of the toner) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the toner.

An image forming method includes forming an image with a toner using a photoconductor in which an intermediate layer and a photosensitive layer including a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer are formed overlying an electroconductive substrate, wherein the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and the ionization potential of the surface of the toner satisfy the following relations 1 and 2,
|Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)Ip (the surface of the toner)|0.18 (eV) Relation 1
5.45 (eV)Ip (the surface of the photoconductor)5.53 (eV) Relation 2 where Ip (the surface of the photoconductor) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and Ip (the surface of the toner) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the toner.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes an electroconductive support member and a photosensitive layer. The uppermost layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member defines a surface layer, and the surface layer contains polytetrafluoroethylene particles, a charge transporting material, and polyvinyl acetal. The proportion of the polyvinyl acetal content to the polytetrafluoroethylene particles content in the surface layer is in the range of 0.1% by mass to 15.0% by mass, and the charge transporting material content in the surface layer is 35% by mass or more relative to the total mass of the surface layer.

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate, and a lamination type photosensitive layer disposed on the conductive substrate and including a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer, in which the charge transport layer contains polyalkylsiloxane, and an amount of a cyclic siloxane having a molecular weight of 450 or less in the charge transport layer is less than 0.1 ppm.

An image forming method includes forming an image with a toner using a photoconductor in which an intermediate layer and a photosensitive layer including a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer are formed overlying an electroconductive substrate, wherein the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and the ionization potential of the surface of the toner satisfy the following relations 1 and 2,

|Ip(the surface of the photoconductor)Ip(the surface of the toner)|0.18 (eV) Relation 1

5.45 (eV)Ip(the surface of the photoconductor)5.53 (eV) Relation 2 where Ip (the surface of the photoconductor) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the photoconductor and Ip (the surface of the toner) represents the ionization potential of the surface of the toner.

Provided is an electro-conductive belt including an electro-conductive resin layer. The electro-conductive resin layer includes a matrix containing a thermoplastic resin having at least one bond selected from the group consisting of an amide bond, an ester bond and a carbonate bond, a domain containing an ionic liquid containing a hexafluorophosphate anion or an anion expressed by formula (1), and particles containing a silicone resin having a structure expressed by formula (2): R.sub.0SiO.sub.3/2. Formula (1) ##STR00001##