A　novel　water-soluble　conjugated　macrocyclic　tetramaleimide　(WCMT-1)　with　far　red/near-infrared　(FR/NIR)　fluorescence　emission　has　been　rationally　designed　and　successfully　synthesized.　WCMT-1　with　the　twisted　donor　(D)　and　acceptor　(A)　structures　make　it　possess　both　aggregation-induce　emission　(AIE)　and　twist　intramolecular　charge　transfer　(TICT)　characteristics.　Due　to　the　AIE　effects,　WCMT-1　exhibits　a　strong　fluorescence　in　non-polar　solvents　(the　quantum　yield　of　WCMT-1　reaches　to　33.7%　in　toluene　and　32.5%　in　CCl4),　but　it　is　quenched　in　an　aqueous　solution　caused　by　the　TICT　process.　However,　by　the　introduction　of　sodium　lauryl　sulfonate　(SLS)　into　the　WCMT-1　aqueous　solution,　the　in　situ　generated　WCMT-1&SLS　supra-amphiphile　resulted　in　remarkable　recovery　of　FR/NIR　fluorescence.　Furthermore,　combined　with　its　large　Stokes　shift　and　good　water　solubility,　the　bioimaging　experiments　towards　HeLa　and　HepG2　cells　have　also　been　conducted　to　give　a　good　performance.　©　2021　Elsevier　Ltd