Strain dependent electronic and optical responses of penta-BCN monolayer

•The p-BCN monolayer is predicted to be a structurally, dynamically, and mechanically stable non-magnetic direct bandgap semiconductor.•The strong mechanical and optical anisotropy with optical absorbance up to 1.08 × 105 cm−1 in VR and 7.01 × 105 cm−1 in UV region is detected.•The p-BCN is a potential candidate in nanomechanical and optoelectronic device applications.