Underwater bubbles have attracted extensive attention due to their acoustic properties such as ultra-low-frequency resonance. However, conventional bubbles are subject to buoyancy, dissolution, and other effects, making it difficult to achieve stable arrangement and long-term applications. The author previously proposed the concept of “bubble structuring”, which constructs stably arranged bubble arrays through solid–liquid interfacial interactions, thereby laying a foundation for experimental verification of bubble acoustic functions. On this basis, to further promote the engineering applications of bubble acoustics, this report focuses on the design philosophy of “bubble-like acoustic metamaterials”. This strategy employs artificial structures such as hydrogel cavity structures, plastic-membrane bubbles, and composite-membrane-encapsulated cavities to mimic the localized breathing-like resonance behavior of bubbles. While maintaining the low-frequency and strong resonance characteristics of bubbles, it significantly enhances the structural pressure resistance, environmental stability, programmability, and scalability for fabrication. This report will cover the structural design, construction methods, resonance tuning mechanisms, and applications of bubble-like acoustic metamaterials in underwater acoustic field manipulation, interfacial acoustic transmission, and low-frequency sound insulation, exploring new material platforms and technological pathways that bridge bubble acoustics theory toward stable devices and engineering applications.

Huang Zhandong is a Distinguished Research Fellow and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Chemical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University. For many years, he has been engaged in research on gas–liquid and liquid–liquid interfaces, leveraging the microscopic regulation of interfacial processes to develop applications in chemical process intensification and acoustic metamaterials based on bubble dynamics. He has published over 20 papers as first or corresponding author in journals including Nature Chemical Engineering, Nature Communications, Science Advances, and Advanced Materials. He has been selected for the "Sanqin Talent" Program of Shaanxi Province, the "Qinchuangyuan" Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talent Program of Shaanxi Province, and the "Young Top-notch Talent" Program of Xi’an Jiaotong University. He also received the "National Outstanding Young Scholar in Metamaterials" award from the Metamaterials Branch of the Chinese Materials Research Society. In addition, he has been honored with the "Emerging Investigator" award from the Journal of Materials Chemistry C (Royal Society of Chemistry) and the "Wiley China Highly Cited Author Award", among other accolades.