A series of bioinspired dioxidomolybdenum(vi), dioxidotungsten(vi) and oxidovanadium(v) complexes [MoO2(H2LSaltris)], [WO2(H2LSaltris)] and [VO(HLSaltris)]2 were prepared by the reaction of a hydroxyl-rich Schiff base proligand N-(1,3-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)propan-2-yl)-3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylaldimine (H4LSaltris) with metal precursors in methanol solutions. Molybdenum and tungsten complexes crystallize as mononuclear molecules, whereas the vanadium complex forms dinuclear units. From the complexes, [VO(HLSaltris)]2 shows activity in the oxidation of 4-tert-butylcatechol and 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol, mimicking the action of the dicopper enzyme catechol oxidase.