Photosensitive element for electrophotography

Claim 1

A photosensitive element for electrophotography having improved charging performance and comprising an electrically conductive backing member, a photoconductive layer having an electric resistance of greater than about 10 13 Ω·cm and a thickness of about 10 to about 50μ on the backing member, and a transparent electrically insulating surface layer on the photoconductive layer, wherein the transparent electrically insulating surface layer contains a an electron donating compound in an amount of 0.01 to 30% by weight or a layer of an electron donating compound about 0.01 to about 15μ thick interposed between the photoconductive layer and the transparent electrically insulating surface layer, whereby a charge-retentive layer is formed in the boundary between the photoconductive layer and the transparent electrically insulating layer to prevent a charge held in the boundary between the photoconductive layer and the transparent electrically insulating layer from discharging, wherein a positive-type photoconductor is used as the photoconductive layer, further wherein said transparent electrically insulating layer is a layer of a member selected from the group consisting of a polysiloxane, a polyurethane, a polyester, a polyethyleneoxide, a polyethylene terephthalate, a polyethylene, a polyoxyethylene, a polycarbonate, a polystyrene, a polyphenylether, a polyphenylene, a polypeptide, an acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene resin, an acrylonitrile/styrene resin, an apoxy resin, a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyacetal, a polyamide, a urea resin, a melamine resin, an acrylic resin or a copolymer thereof and wherein said electron donating compound is selected from the group consisting of Nigrothin, Methylene Blue, Indigo Blue, Congo Red, Victoria Pure Blue, Violet 6B, Fuchsin, Basic Cyanine LG, Auramine, Naphthalene Green, Acid Rhodamine G, Fluorescin, Rose Bengal, Eosin A, Eosin Y, Pholoxine Pinakryptol Green, Celestine Blue, Quinoline Blue, cyanine dyes, Oil Red B, Chrome Blue, Blue Black RG, a condensed polycyclic compound, an amine compound, a quaternary amine compound, an aniline derivative, a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound, a sulfur-containing heterocyclic compound, an oxygen-containing heterocyclic compound, a nitrogen- and oxygen-atom containing heterocyclic compound, a nitrogen- and sulfur-atom containing heterocyclic compound, an oxygen- and sulfur-atom containing heterocyclic compound or a sulfur-, nitrogen- and oxygen-atom containing heterocyclic compound.