An image forming method includes a charging step, an image exposure step, a developing step, a transferring step, a cleaning step, and a fixing step. A toner contains toner particles, the toner particles contain a resin A including a unit A1 including an alkyl group having 18 to 36 carbon atoms in the side chain, and the electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a surface layer containing (i) fluorine-containing resin particles and (ii) a fluorine-based polymer B.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes: a conductive support; a charge generation layer disposed on the conductive support, the charge generation layer including a charge generating material and a vinyl copolymer, the vinyl copolymer including a structural unit including a chlorine atom, a structural unit including an acyloxy group, and a structural unit including an aromatic polycarboxylic acid structure, a proportion of the structural unit including a chlorine atom to all the structural units being 80% by mass or more, a proportion of the structural unit including an aromatic polycarboxylic acid structure to all the structural units being 0.5% by mass or more; and a charge transport layer disposed on the charge generation layer, the charge transport layer including a charge transporting material and a binder resin.

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer containing a charge transport portion including a first hole transport material represented by General Formula (1) below, a cured resin, and a cross-linked structure there between: ##STR00001## where Za is a polymerizable functional group with a Structural Formula (2), (3), or (4), Zb is a divalent group with a Structural Formula (6) or (7), Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd each are one of a branched or unbranched alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted styryl group, I is 0 or 1 when Za is (2) or (4) and 1 when Za is (3), m is from 0 to 5, n, o, and p are each from 0 to 4, q is from 1 to 3.

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.

Provided is an image bearing member for electrophotography, the image bearing member being excellent in abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, and toner releasability, and being capable of preventing the occurrence of image defects due to cleaning failure for a long period. The image bearing member for electrophotography according to the present invention includes a surface layer formed of a polymerization-cured product of a radical polymerizable composition. The radical polymerizable composition contains a radical polymerizable perfluoropolyether compound (radical polymerizable PFPE), and the ratio of the average number of fluorine atoms to the average number of radical polymerizable functional groups in the radical polymerizable PFPE is 2.0 to 20.0.

An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer. The photosensitive layer contains at least a charge generating material, a charge transport material, and a binder resin. The binder resin includes a polyarylate resin. The polyarylate resin is represented by general formula (1) shown below. In general formula (1), X represents a divalent group represented by chemical formula (1-1), (1-2), (1-3), or (1-4) shown below.

##STR00001##

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising: a conductive support; and a photosensitive layer on the conductive support, wherein the photosensitive layer contains a charge transport substance, a binder resin, and a compound which has a molecular weight of equal to or less than 350, and is represented by General Formula (1).

The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor which is a positive charging type electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising a conductive support and a photosensitive layer on the conductive support, wherein the photosensitive layer contains at least a charge generating material, a hole transport material, an electron transport material, and a binder resin in the same layer, and a residual potential VL.sub.1 at a point at which an exposure amount for forming a latent image is 0.3 μJ/cm.sup.2 is equal to or lower than 130 V when an initial surface potential V0 is set to +700 V, exposure with monochromatic light of 780 nm is performed and measurement is performed by a dynamic method.

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes at least a photosensitive layer and a protective layer sequentially layered on a conductive support, wherein the protective layer contains a cured product of a curable composition containing p-type semiconductor fine particles, an n-type organic semiconductor, and a polymerizable compound.

Shaping a photoconductive drum includes preparing a dispersion having a charge generation composition and dipping an elongated support element into the dispersion. Withdrawing from the dispersion portions of the support element at different speeds results in different thicknesses of charge generation composition on the support element. Faster withdrawal results in thicker charge generation composition than does slower withdrawal. Portions with thicker composition provide denser optical densities compared to thinner composition allowing tailoring the photoconductive drum to compensate for imperfect optical scanning systems. Coating the support element with a charge transport layer occurs next, then curing. Oxidation of the support element may occur prior to application of the charge generation composition. A protective overcoat may also exist over the charge transport layer.