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. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.