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• Nano-engineered hybrid Pluronic-titania films show bactericidal activity. • Superstructuration can turn inert self-assembled polymer into highly bactericidal. • Maximum bactericidal efficiency relies on appropriate superstructured configuration. • A hybrid biocompatible coating with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity is shown. Poloxamer block copolymers (also known as Pluronic®) are particularly useful for drug delivery and self-assembly techniques. These nanopolymers are generally considered to be biologically inert and they were used to generate only bacteria repellent surfaces but keeps bacteria alive and as a latent threat. However, the inherent capabilities of these nanopolymers to kill bacteria have been largely overlooked. Here, we report that Pluronic shaped as superstructures (self-organized array of micelles) in fact possess a broad-spectrum bactericidal activity (capability of killing bacteria) similar to that shown for some antibiotics. This further represents the first report that shows that appropriate control of superstructured mesophase architecture is a key parameter for bactericidal efficacy. Based on this finding, we have developed a highly bactericidal coating (>99.9% kill) against all tested Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Salmonella typhimurium LT2 , Escherichia coli K12 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1) bacteria which moreover allows the adhesion and proliferation of mammalian cells. The inexpensiveness and ease of production make these versatile nanopolymer structures a powerful tool for the development of a new generation of highly effective antimicrobial coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]