The invention relates to a preparation of a VO2 nanosheet material and applications thereof. The preparation is characterized in that one or more of ethylene glycol, glycerin, erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, sorbitol, fructose, glucose and the like are used as a reducing reagent, and one or more of V2O5, NH4VO3, VOPO4, VOCl3, VO (C3H7O)3 are used as a vanadium source. The reducing temperature is 100-180 DEG C, and the reaction time is 10-40 hours. The VO2 nanosheet material is used as a catalyst, molecular oxygen is used as an oxygen source, liquid phase catalytic oxide benzene is prepared into phenol, and the selectivity of the phenol can achieve 80 percent. The method has the characteristics of cheap raw materials, simplicity in process, convenience in operation, uniform morphology, high purity of products and the like.