Pluronic F127 and Dopamine Functionalized Fe ₂ O ₃ Nanocomposites: A Multifunctional Polymer‐Based Platform for Anticancer, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Applications

Cancer, bacterial infections, and oxidative stress continue to pose serious global health challenges, necessitating the development of multifunctional therapeutic agents. Iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ) nanoparticles were selected as the core material owing to their intrinsic biocompatibility, redox activity, and established biomedical relevance. To overcome the limitations of particle aggregation and poor solubility, pluronic F127 (a biocompatible triblock copolymer) was employed as a stabilizer, while dopamine was introduced as a surface modifier to enhance functionalization, improve dispersion, and facilitate cellular uptake. The resulting Fe 2 O 3 ‐PF127‐DOP nanocomposites were thoroughly characterized using XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, PL, and XPS analyses, confirming successful functionalization and enhanced stability. Antioxidant assays revealed 79.24% activity at 20 μg/mL, comparable to Vitamin C, highlighting its antioxidant activity. Antibacterial studies against multiple pathogenic strains, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Shigella dysenteriae , and Vibrio cholerae , showed markedly larger inhibition zones for Fe 2 O 3 ‐PF127‐DOP than for Fe 2 O 3 , confirming its broad‐spectrum antibacterial potential. Fe 2 O 3 ‐PF127‐DOP exhibited superior cytotoxicity against HCT‐116 colon cancer cells (IC 50 = 15.3 μg/mL) compared to Fe 2 O 3 (IC 50 = 17.2 μg/mL), attributed to improved uptake and ROS‐mediated apoptosis. Importantly, cytocompatibility studies on L929 fibroblast cells revealed high cell viability of 83% and 86% for Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 2 O 3 ‐PF127‐DOP, respectively, demonstrating the nanocomposite's biocompatibility. Overall, this study demonstrates that strategic functionalization of Fe 2 O 3 with pluronic F127 and dopamine yields a stable, multifunctional nanocomposite with significant anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial applications.