Which characteristics of the compound affect the number of theoretical plates in a GC experiment?

Some days ago, I tried for the first time a chromatography machine.
The data I collected are the following:


$$
\begin{array}{lrrr}
\hline
\text{Compound} & t\_\mathrm{R}/\pu{min} & w/\pu{min} & N \\
\hline
\text{Benzene} & 2.325 & 0.047 & 39153 \\
\text{Toluene} & 2.712 & 0.067 & 26214 \\
\text{Chlorobenzene} & 3.690 & 0.099 & 22228 \\
\textit{p}\text{-Chlorotoluene} & 4.332 & 0.106 & 26723 \\
\hline
\end{array}
$$


I know the relationship between retention time $t\_\mathrm{R},$ peak width $w$ and theoretical plates $N.$


Known the different properties, boiling points, polarities, or shapes of the molecules involved, is there a way to predict which molecule will yield an higher number of theoretical plates?


Which characteristics of the molecules affect the different number of plates for each molecule?




The number of [theoretical plates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoretical_plate#Chromatographic_processes) can be calculated as: 



> 
> $\mathrm{N\_t = \frac {H}{HETP}}$ 
> 
> 
> $\mathrm{N\_t =}$ number of theoretical plates  
> 
>  $\mathrm{H =}$ total height (or usually length) of the column [$\mathrm{m}$]  
> 
>  $\mathrm{HETP =}$ Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate [$\mathrm{m}$] 
> 
> 
> 


Where $\mathrm{HETP =}$ can be calculated from the [Van Deemter equation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Deemter_equation#Van_Deemter_equation): 



> 
> $\mathrm{HETP = A + \frac {B}{u} + (C\_s + C\_m) \* u}$ 
> 
> 
> $\mathrm{A =}$ Eddy-diffusion parameter, related to channeling through a non-ideal packing [$\mathrm{m}$]  
> 
>  $\mathrm{B =}$ diffusion coefficient of the eluting particles in the longitudinal direction, resulting in dispersion [$\mathrm{m^2 s^{−1}}$]  
> 
>  $\mathrm{C =}$ Resistance to mass transfer coefficient of the analyte between mobile and stationary phase [$\mathrm{s}$]  
> 
>  $\mathrm{u =}$ Linear Velocity [$\mathrm{m s^{−1}}$]
> 
> 
> 


So, the characteristics specific to the analyte molecule that determine the number of theoretical plates are B and, unfortunately from the standpoint of developing an *ab initio* model, C. 


Various models have been developed, however. Below is a list of references to some articles of interest in this field. 


[[ 1 (abstract)]](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/004578259290185M)*"The problem of plate modeling: Theoretical and computational results", Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, Volume 100, Issue 2, October 1992, Pages 249–273* 


[[ 2 ]](http://www.purdue.edu/lorre/publications/v49p123-144y1993.pdf)*"Plate Models in Chromatography: Analysis and Implication for Scale Up", Chromatograpy,Springer-Verlag* 


[[ 3 (abstract)]](http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie9908128)*"Neural Network Modeling of Structured Packing Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate", Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2000, 39 (5), pp 1520–1525*


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