Experiencing a series of complicated changes, abundant orange crystals of novel metallic phase of vanadium pentoxide were obtained by a mild chemical method, the formula of which is defined as [V-3(mu(3)-O)(2)center dot(mu(1)-OH)center dot O-5]center dot H2O. Differ from the synthesis methods of vanadium oxide published, we have adopted a simple solution method that mixed starting materials are refluxing in the system of ethanol-water under a relatively lower temperature. Symmetry of the crystals is Monoclinic, with cell unit dimensions: a = 4.9978(10) angstrom, b = 8.4273(17) angstrom, c = 7.8669(16) angstrom, beta = 96.44(3)degrees and space group of P2(1)/m. The structure of the complex was characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-vis spectroscopy and single-crystal diffraction analysis. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) was used to detect the purity of the crystals, and crystal morphology was detected by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). In addition, in order to extend application of oxidovanadium complexes, bromination catalytic activity about the complex in a single-pot reaction of the conversion of phenol red to bromophenol blue in a mixed solution of H2O-DMF at a constant temperature of 30 +/- 0.5 degrees C with a buffer solution of NaH2PO4-Na2HPO4 (pH = 5.8) was evaluated firstly, indicating that the complex can be considered as a potential functional model of bromoperoxidase, in the meantime, we have conducted the bromination catalytic reaction to simulate and measure the changes in reaction process indirectly. Besides, catalytic oxidation activity of the complex is also evaluated in the oxidation of cyclohexane (Cy) and cyclopentane with hydrogen peroxide promoted under mild conditions, showing potential catalytic activity of the complex by comparing TON (total turnover number) ratios of CyO/CyOH (CyO is the abbreviation of cyclohexanone and CyOH represents cyclohexanol) in the oxidation results. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.