The in-cell electrochemical synthesis of p-anisaldehyde (p-methoxybenzaldehyde PMA) was carried out by the redox mediated oxidation of p-methyoxytoluene (PMT), using the Ce(IV)/Ce(III) system with methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and a laboratory scale single-cell parallel plate electrochemical reactor (ECR) coupled to a stirred tank thermochemical reactor (TCR). To suppress a rapid rise in the operating voltage of the ECR its cathode was modified to a graphite felt covered by a micro-porous diaphragm. The performance of a full batch recycle process with the modified ECR was explored via factorial experiments at a superficial current density of 3150 Am-2 with the variables: acid concentration, temperature, phase volume ratio and PMT conversion. Contrary to conventional practice, the organic reaction products were not removed from the recycling electrolyte. In this case the highest yield of PMA was 28%, the relatively poor performance being attributed to the accumulation of reaction products in the electrolyte. Rough economic estimates indicate that the cost of the main materials and energy for the in-cell method studied here, without optimization, is about 3 times that of the corresponding ex-cell process using a purified recycling electrolyte. (C) 2016 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.