Production of phenols

In a process comprising decomposing an aralkyl hydroperoxide, in which the aryl nucleus is substituted by at least one alkylhydroperoxide group containing from 2 to 24 carbon atoms and said aryl nucleus may be further substituted by one or more substituents selected from halogen atoms and alkyl, alkoxy and nitro groups, to produce a correspondingly substituted or unsubstituted mono- or polyhydric phenol, the improvement comprising:

• effecting the decomposition at a temperature of from ambient temperature to 180.degree. C in the presence of a catalyst comprising a compound of the formula ##STR13## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.4, R.sub.5 and R.sub.8 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or an unsubstituted hydrocarbyl group containing up to 24 carbon atoms, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an unsubstituted hydrocarbyl group containing up to 24 carbon atoms, or together represent an additional bond linking the carbon atoms to which they are attached, R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an unsubstituted hydrocarbyl group containing up to 24 carbon atoms, or together represent an additional bond linking the carbon atoms to which they are attached, and S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 each independently represents a sulphur atom or a sulphoxide or sulphone group.