  We employ computer simulations to unveil the translational and rotational
dynamics of the self-driven chemically symmetric and asymmetric rigid dumbbells
in two-dimensional polymer gel. Our results show that activity or the
self-propulsion always enhances the dynamics of the dumbbells. Making the
self-propelled dumbbell chemically asymmetric leads to further enhancement in
dynamics. Additionally, the direction of self-propulsion is a key factor for
the chemically asymmetric dumbbells, where self-propulsion towards the
non-sticky half of the dumbbell results in faster translational and rotational
dynamics compare to the case with the self-propulsion towards the sticky half
of the dumbbell. Our analyses show that both the symmetric and asymmetric
passive rigid dumbbells get trapped inside the mesh of the polymer gel, but the
chemical asymmetry always facilitates mesh to mesh motion of the dumbbell and
it is even more pronounced when the dumbbell is self-propelled. This results
multiple peaks in the van Hove function with increasing self-propulsion. In a
nutshell, we believe that our in silico study can guide the researchers design
efficient artificial microswimmers possessing potential applications in
site-specific delivery.
