The isopropylation of naphthalene over ordered mesoporous aluminosilicate AlSBA-1: The formation of diisopropylnaphthalene and triisopropylnaphthalene isomers

•The high selectivities for TriIPN isomers in the isopropylation of naphthalene over AlSBA-1.•The high yields of TriIPN isomers started from low temperature, 225 °C by multi-step isopropylation during one stay on catalytic site with the co-operation of neighbor propylene adsorbed sites.•The isopropylation of NP was controlled by kinetic properties of NP derivatives and/or thermodynamical properties of TriIPN isomers, not by steric restriction of AlSBA-1.•Big differences of the cooperation of neighbor acid sites between AlSBA-1 and FAU zeolite: possible for AlSBA-1, but not for FAU zeolite, resulting in high yield of TriIPN isomers for AlSBA-1.