A new alkali-resistant Ni/Al2O3-MSU-1 core–shell catalyst for methane steam reforming in a direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell

•An alkali-resistant core–shell catalyst with mesoporous MSU-1 shell was prepared for a DIR-MCFC system.•The core–shell catalysts with different thickness shells could be obtained by finely adjusting the loading NaF amount.•The core–shell catalyst displays better activity than the one with microporous Sil-1 shell for DIR-MCFC system.

An alkali-resistant catalyst for direct internal reforming molten carbonate fuel cell (DIR-MCFC) is prepared by growing a thin shell of mesoporous MSU-1 membrane on Ni/Al2O3 catalyst beads. The MSU-1 shell is obtained by first depositing a monolayer of colloidal silicalite-1 (Sil-1) on the catalyst bead as linkers and then using NaF stored in the beads to catalyze the growth of the MSU-1 layer. The resulting core–shell catalysts display excellent alkali-resistance and deliver stable methane conversion and hydrogen yield in an out-of-cell test simulating the operating conditions of an operating DIR-MCFC. Higher conversion and yield (i.e., up to over 70%) are obtained from the new core–shell catalyst with MSU-1 shell compared to the catalyst with microporous Sil-1 shell. A mathematical model of the reaction and poisoning of the core–shell catalyst is used to predict the optimum shell thickness for its reliable use in a DIR-MCFC.

Graphical abstractAn alkali-resistant Ni/Al2O3-MSU-1 core–shell catalyst for methane steam reforming in a DIR-MCFC was prepared by growing a thin shell of mesoporous MSU-1 membrane on Ni/Al2O3 catalyst beads. The MSU-1 shell was obtained by both depositing a monolayer of Sil-1 nanocrystals on the Ni/Al2O3 bead surface and loading different amounts of NaF in the inner of the beads. The core–shell catalyst demonstrates better catalytic performance than the one with microporous Sil-1 shell.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide