The dynamic evolution of catalyst structures greatly influences the reactivity, especially sub-nanometer clusters, exhibiting complex configurational fluctuation. In the present work, we study the structural dynamics of a Ru 19 cluster during the dissociation of N 2 and calculate the reaction free energies using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD). Our AIMD calculation predicts a peak-shaped reaction entropy curve due to the adsorption-induced phase transition of the Ru 19 cluster. The low melting points of sub-nanometer clusters make it possible to activate N 2 at low temperatures. This work demonstrates that the dynamic changes of cluster structures have a non-negligible effect on reaction free energy and offer an opportunity for achieving ammonia synthesis under mild conditions.
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