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In2S3, as a promising environmentally benign semiconductor, is used as a buffer layer in thin‐film solar cells due to its high electron mobility, low toxicity, and excellent thermal and chemical stability. The preparation of a high‐quality In2S3 film is crucial for the improvement of its carrier extraction ability and subsequent deposition of absorber layers. Herein, it is demonstrated for the first time that a posttreatment of In2S3 film with ZnCl2 solution is able to serve as buffer layer for constructing superstrate Sb2Se3 solar cells. The posttreatment with ZnCl2 not only prevents In2S3 from excessive oxidation during annealing process, but also facilitates the growth of (hk1) orientation of Sb2Se3, thereby improving the interfacial contact of In2S3/Sb2Se3. The improved heterojunction quality suppresses the carrier recombination at the interface, and enhances the charge extraction ability of In2S3. As a result, the power conversion efficiency of Sb2Se3 solar cell increases from 2.63% to 5.00%. Herein, a facile and effective strategy is provided for the application of In2S3 as the buffer layer in inorganic chalcogenide solar cells.

The corrosion of carbon steel causes dramatic economic losses each year. Since conventional corrosion prevention approaches may cause pollution problems to the environment, ecofriendly and effective corrosion approaches are desired. Microbiologically influenced corrosion inhibition (MICI) has been reported as a sustainable corrosion prevention method. This work aims to evaluate the corrosion inhibition effect of two bacterial strains, Tenacibaculum mesophilum D-6 and Bacillus sp. Y-6 by choosing Q235 carbon steel as a model system. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and a series of electrochemical techniques were applied to study the corrosion prevention effect. The electrochemical and pitting results indicated that T. mesophilum D-6 displayed a better corrosion protection effect. T. mesophilum D-6 formed a denser and thicker biofilm on the Q235 surface than Bacillus sp. Y-6. The maximum thickness of the T. mesophilum D-6 biofilms was 11.6 ± 0.7 μm, which is about twice as thick than that of Bacillus sp. Y-6. The corrosion prevention mechanism was ascribed to the formation of biofilms as a barrier to block corrosive agents such as O2. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the application of biofilms as green and effective corrosion inhibitors for carbon steel.