Electron irradiation induced modification of Bi₂Fe₄O₉ nanoparticles

The effect of electron irradiation on the structural, electric and dielectric properties of Bi₂Fe₄O₉ nanoparticles synthesized by standard sol–gel method is studied and reported in this paper. The samples were subjected to different doses of electrons of energy 8 MeV. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dielectric properties, AC conductivity and current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of the nanoparticles were studied before and after irradiation. DSC curve shows a shift in crystallization peak positions on electron irradiation. The dielectric spectrum and AC electrical conductivity of the nanoparticles were found to increase after irradiation. - Highlights: • Synthesis of multiferroic Bi₂Fe₄O₉ nanoparticles by the sol–gel method. • Electron irradiation of the samples. • Examination of changes in structural, dielectric and electric properties of Bi₂Fe₄O₉ nanoparticles both before and after irradiation