Abstract. The photodisintegration cross section of the 9 Be(1/2 + ) state is investigated in a framework of the α + α + n three-body model. The 1/2 + state of 9 Be locates just above the three-body threshold, and the s-wave neutron property of this state is a long-standing problem. It has been a topic of quite interest in relation to the breakup mechanism of 9 Be into the 8 Be(0 + ) + n and (α + α + n) channels.