A phenomenological study was conducted on the degradation of cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) at 80 and 90 degreesC in a chlorobenzene solution in the presence of different surfactants under oxygen-free conditions. The cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) accelerates the CHP degradation to free radicals. The anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) catalyzes the heterolytic decomposition of CHP yielding phenol and a-methylstyrene. The decomposition rate increases in the course of the reaction. Anionic sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) having the branched hydrocarbon moiety and hindered polar groups virtually does not affect the degradation of cumene hydroperoxide.