In this paper the group reviews its recent work on the ultrafast spectroscopy in semiconducting, plasmonic and hybrid nanostructures. We start by discussing the dynamical plasmonic responses of metal nanoparticles both in solution and in 2D and 3D arrays on surfaces, with particular attention being paid to the effects of the nanoparticle shape and to the conversion of absorbed light into heat on a nano-localized scale. We also discuss the results obtained on the carrier dynamics in nanostructured perovskites with emphasis on the hot-carrier dynamics and in semiconductor nanosystems such as ZnSe and Si nanowires, with particular attention to the band-gap bleaching dynamics. These discussions provide the basis for our study of semiconductor-metal NP hybrids, such as Ag NPs@ CeO_2, Ag NPs@ ZnSe nanowires and Au NPs@ZnSe nanowires.

The article finishes with an assessment of an alternative method for the sensitization of wide band gap semiconductors to visible light by discussing the relationship between the carrier dynamics of TiO₂ NPs and V-doped TiO₂ NPs and their catalytic properties.

The work aims to provide a review for people who are looking to learn /gain deepened understanding on the interactions between plasmonic and semiconducting nanostructures and of how ultrafast optical spectroscopy can be employed to investigate this.