Sliced activated carbons were prepared from palm tree fronds, a biomass material, using a single step physical method. Effect of the synthetic parameters on the surface area, pore size and pore volume of the activated carbon were studied, pursuing by the optimization of studied parameters. The activation temperature, heating ramp rate, reaction vessel pressure and the CO2 flowrate were found to be the influential parameters for the synthesis of sliced activated carbon with larger porosity and surface area. The optimum conditions to synthesize the porous activated carbon bearing high pore volume and surface area were studied and identified. Highest surface area of 1094 m(2) g(-1) was achieved under the optimum conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the porosity and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for surface functional groups and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms the presence of uniform nanoparticles of 2.1385 nm. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.