Bioresponsive polymeric nanoparticles have been extensively pursued for the development of tumor-targeted drug delivery. A novel redox-sensitive biodegradable polymer with "trimethyl-locked" benzoquinone was synthesized for the preparation of paclitaxel-incorporated nanoparticles. The synthesized redox-sensitive nanoparticles released paclitaxel in response to chemically triggered reduction. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.