The surface energy of a semifluorinated salicylaldimine liquid crystal has been characterised by inverse gas chromatography over the temperature range 303 to 323 K using n-alkanes, tetrahydrofurane, dichloromethane, chloroform, acetone and ethyl acetate molecular probes. The dispersive component of the surface free energy of the adsorbent surface studied was calculated according to the approaches of Fowkes and Dorris–Gray in the infinite dilution region. The specific free energy, enthalpy and entropy of adsorption of polar probes on the liquid crystal were determined. The values of the specific enthalpy of adsorption were correlated with both the donor and the acceptor numbers of the probes to quantify the acidic and the basic parameters of the liquid crystal surface. The surface of the semifluorinated salicylaldimine liquid crystal was found to show a basic nature, which determined the nature of its interaction with the polar probes.