Hydrothermal conversion of bamboo shoot shell to biochar: Preliminary studies of adsorption equilibrium and kinetics for rhodamine B removal

•Biochar was obtained from hydrochar pyrolysis using bamboo shoot shells as the precursor.•BHC-800 with surface area of 513 m2/g and partial mesopores was good adsorbent for RhB removal.•Maximum adsorption capacity of RhB was about 85.8 mg/g with isotherms fitted to Freundlich model.•Adsorption kinetics for RhB was very quick and fitted better to the pseudo-second-order.