Colloidal nanocrystal heterodimers composed of a gold domain and an iron oxide domain have been investigated by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The measured decay times were compared with the ones obtained from samples of "only" gold nanocrystals and iron oxide nanocrystals. Our results indicate that there is no significant charge transfer at the interface between gold and iron oxide in heterodimers. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3609324]