| James William McBain | |
| Birth Date: | 22 March 1882 |
| Birth Place: | Chatham, New Brunswick |
| Nationality: | Canadian |
| Fields: | Chemistry |
| Workplaces: | Stanford University Bristol University |
| Alma Mater: | University of Toronto Heidelberg University |
| Thesis Title: | Zur Kenntnis der Katalyse in heterogenen Systemen: die Zersetzung des chromochlorürs mit kolloidem Platin |
| Thesis Url: | http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/247189991 |
| Thesis Year: | 1909 |
| Doctoral Advisor: | Georg Hermann Quincke |
| Doctoral Students: | Jerome Vinograd |
| Known For: | Colloidal chemistry |
James William McBain FRS[1] (March 22, 1882 – March 12, 1953) was a Canadian chemist.
He gained a Master of Arts at Toronto University and a Doctor of Science at Heidelberg University.
He carried out pioneering work in the area of micelles at the University of Bristol. As early as 1913 he postulated the existence of "colloidal ions", now known as micelles, to explain the good electrolytic conductivity of sodium palmitate solutions. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in May 1923 [1] [2] He won their Davy Medal in 1939.