▎ 摘　　要

We test the potentials available for elemental carbon, with the scope to choose the potential suitable for the modeling of penta-graphene, the latest two dimensional carbon allotrope. By using molecular statics and molecular dynamics simulations we show that there is only one potential - namely the Tersoff-type potential proposed by Erhart and Albe in 2005 - which is able to correctly describe all the important features of penta-graphene. We show that this potential gives structural, mechanical and energetic parameters which are in accordance with the previously reported ab initio results. (c) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.