Abstract. Numerical simulations give the opportunity for designing periodic microstructured materials by tuning and manipulating their dynamic properties in terms of vibration control by varying their main micro-geometrical parameters. Specifically, the bandgap formation in 2D nacre-like composites characterized by a brick-and-mortar arrangement of stiff platelets and a soft matrix containing periodically arranged cavities was investigated through the Bloch-wave analysis. The numerical outcomes highlighted that, by varying the microstructural topology of the void inclusions and the stiff platelets, enhanced wave absorption capabilities can be obtained providing new opportunities to design periodic lightweight bioinspired composite metamaterials with elastic wave attenuation properties.