The Ritter reaction is one-pot process for amide bond formation from nitrile and carbenium ion generating group (usually alcohol or alkene) in a strongly ionizing medium. Important drawbacks of the classical Ritter reaction involves use of at least stoichiometric amounts of a corrosive Brønsted acid thus often limiting its applicability to compounds containing acid labile functional groups. Sulfur dioxide is not only useful building block in synthetic organic chemistry but in its liquid state can be used as a strong polar solvent as well. In the Ritter reaction conditions SO2(liq.) can facilitate formation of carbenium ion. Relatively low catalyst loading and activation of secondary alcohols toward reaction are proof of efficiency of SO2(liq.) as a medium for the Ritter reaction.