Carbon has played a pivotal role in human civilization's advancement, owing to its ability to form strong bonds in various structures. Over the past three decades, numerous carbon-based nanoparticles (CBNs) have been developed through diverse synthesis processes. CBNs have been utilized in a wide range of applications, including biomedicine, catalysis, environmental remediation, and textiles. This paper provides a comprehensive study of the CBNs. The first section includes detailed descriptions of fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, graphene nanoparticles, nanodiamonds, and carbon quantum dots and their properties. Also, It provides a comprehensive overview of the different synthesis methods. The third section of this paper shows the techniques used in the characterization process and the limitations of each one. The paper also supplies cross-disciplinary applications, including drug delivery, bioimaging, biosensing, catalysis, environmental remediation, and E-textiles. The study aims to offer a thorough evaluation of these materials, which will be valuable for future developments and broaden their range of applications.