We present a strategy toward the rational synthesis of microporous materials by combination of computational and combinatorial approach. In terms of nonbonding interaction energies of host-guest calculated by the molecular dynamics simulations using Cerius 2 package, the templating abilities of various organic amines in the formation of microporous aluminophosphate AlPO 4 -21 have been evaluated. Through rational selection of the predicted suitable templates, such as ethanolamine, trimethylamine and N, N, N¢, N¢-tetramethylenediamine, AlPO 4 -21 has been successfully synthesized by hydrothermal combinatorial approaches in the reaction system 1.0Al( i OPr) 3 -xH 3 PO 4 -yR-255.0H 2 O (R:amines). The as-synthesized products are characterized by automated X-ray powder diffraction, ICP, TG, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Their framework structures belong to zeotype AWO, which possesses eight-membered ring channels along [001] direction.